All Things are Popsicles!

June 5, 2020 by  
Filed under Humor, Stories

By Kim Stokely –

We’ve all had those mornings. You know the kind. You slapped your snooze alarm one too many times and now only divine intervention or a hovercraft will get you and your kids to work and school on time. It’s happened to me on more occasions than I’d care to admit, but one in particular stands out in my mind. The first thing I remember about it is me, yelling at the kids.

“We have to leave.”

They stared at me from the kitchen table, still bleary-eyed from sleep.

“Now!”

I downed my coffee while I searched for the car keys. Finding them in the last place I looked (who would have thought I’d put them on the key holder?) I tossed the kids a bagel and their coats and herded them out to the garage.

My son slipped into the back seat of our van while I buckled his five-year-old sister into her booster seat. “No fighting today,” I ordered, then softened my voice with a “please.”

The kids must have sensed my frustration because they remained quiet while I jumped behind the wheel and started the engine. As I turned the van onto the road I heard my son humming a familiar tune. I peeked in the rear-view mirror. He was tapping his feet against the seat and smiling.

“What’s that song?” I asked.

His eyes darted up to the mirror, probably to see if I was angry. When he saw my grin he started singing louder. I recognized the music as a song his dad and I had been practicing with our worship team the night before. The tune was right, but instead of singing “all things are possible,” my son crooned “all things are popsicles!” As I glanced again at his face I didn’t have the heart to correct him. He knew the song was one of praise but to his seven-year-old mind there was nothing strange about praising God for popsicles.

Isaiah 12:5 says “Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.”  (NLT)  To my son (and let’s face it, most kids his age) popsicles were glorious things. My mood lightened as I thought about all I had to be thankful for on this stressful morning. Two healthy kids, a loving husband, a warm house. My daughter joined with her brother and soon I did too, “all things are popsicles!”

And thank you Lord, especially for the grape ones!

About Kim Stokely

Kim Stokely has toured throughout the country in a one-person musical about women in the Bible. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and a variety of creatures including: two teenagers, two dogs, a parakeet and a legless lizard. Her stories have been printed in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Vista, and Writers’ Journal and she invites you to visit her website @ www.kimstokely.com to read her award winning short story, Bingo.
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Comments

7 Responses to “All Things are Popsicles!”
  1. This is a wonderful story, Kim. I give it five stars. Have a blessed day, and yes sometimes we forget the simple things in life are the most important.

  2. Mary Wolff says:

    Isn’t this the truth? Children’s made-up lyrics sometimes make more sense than the original ones. I’m thinking heavenly listeners understood exactly what your son meant.

    Thanks for this reminder that it isn’t that important to always be on time. It’s good, too, to remember our own family stories involving creative pronunciation and phrases. We all have them.

  3. Lesley says:

    Great Story!!!

  4. Cher Powell says:

    What a sweet story! Praise the Lord and pass the Popsicles!

  5. Julie says:

    This so reminds me of my Michael singing the Beautiful One song at the top of his lungs in our van and instead of saying “I Adore!”, he said, “I’m a Dork!”. I didn’t have the heart to correct him either, it certainly lightened my mood, and that’s how we all sing it now. Kim, I love your writing – it’s so pure of heart, authentic, real! Keep it coming!

  6. Rhonda H says:

    Nice article! Now, I’m hungry for popsicles!

  7. Teresa Tierney says:

    Love how our kids can so hit the nail on the head even when they are coming in sideways!

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