Together they mixed; chopped, stirred and laughed. Just two
teenagers enjoying time together as they prepared the home
economic assignment. They watched the pot with its sweet
smelling concoction simmer on the stove. Nancy was the smartest
girl in school; but more than that, she was the nicest girl ever!
Gladys was delighted to be known as Nancy's best friend.
Although Nancy and her were unmatched in scholastic matters, it
didn't affect their friendship one bit. Gladys was just as
excited for Nancy when she got an 'A' in almost every assignment,
as Nancy was excited for Gladys when she did well in sports,
which Nancy hated. Opposites sometimes seem to balance each
other out.
That day, the Home Economic's teacher had instructed the class to pair up for making apple jelly. Naturally, Nancy and Gladys pressed themselves together and became one. Together they worked on the apple jelly project. With two steaming, mason jars standing tall in front of them, the girls filled one jar apiece with the same, hot mixture. They then poured melted purowax on top to seal their creation and preserve it until the day of consumption. When the apple jelly had cooled a bit, each girl screwed a sterilized lid onto a jar, then wrote her name on a separate label and glued it onto a bottle. With the assignment completed, the jars placed on a back shelf, and all the mess cleaned up, the girls went on to their next class.
The life of two active, thirteen year olds, overshadowed any thoughts about the apple jelly until the next week when they went to look at the mark the teacher had written on their apple jelly jar labels. Neither of them were surprised when they found a large, underlined ten, written in bold, red marker beside Nancy's name. Gladys cheerfully reached for her jar and turned it so she could see her anticipated ten. Her heart sank as a six came into view. Her eyes popped open wide as she stared at the scribbled number six. Only six out of ten! How could this be!? Nancy had already wandered over to the other side of the room. Gladys looked around, startled by what she thought was an outrage. No one seemed to notice the shocked look on her face. Nancy never waited to see Gladys' mark because she had expected them to be the same. After all, the apple jelly had came out of the very same pot for both of their jars!
Gladys went home that night still perplexed over the mark she had received. She had not mentioned it to anyone. Not even her best friend Nancy. As she walked into the house and hurled her books across the counter in the kitchen, all her pent up anger came tumbling out. She told her story of woe to her listening mother. Afterwards, her mother reached for Gladys face, and with her gentle hands, held Gladys chin as she bent down and looked deeply into her sad eyes. "You have learned a very valuable lesson," she quietly said. "Life isn't always fair. That teacher wasn't fair and is the worse off for it. Nancy is worse off too, because everyone who comes in contact with her takes her for granted. Remember, only God is fair. Sometimes we don't understand His fairness either. We just have to accept whatever happens and trust that we are better off for it". Her mother then stressed to her, how in her heart of hearts, Gladys knew that she too, had earned a ten.
This is a true story that took place some forty years ago. It was told to me by Gladys herself. She runs a store and video arcade in a small, Northern town where lots of the kids hang out during their lunch hour and after school. She told me when the kids tell her how they think their teacher's are unfair to them, she always says, "apple jelly" then shares her story with them. Gladys considers that long ago, but not forgotten, mark of six was worth its weight in gold. The story doesn't totally end there though. Gladys told me that the next day, when Nancy found out about the injustice done to her friend, they were able to just laugh at the teacher's silly mistake. Her mother's wise words had brought what could have been a sticky situation into a constructive and positive light.
What two good friends had long ago simmered on a stove in a home economic's class, has now spread its taste for some four decades to all who hear this flavorful story. The apple jelly lesson remains with us, to forever taste as a spoonful of wisdom in our hearts.
