“I just want something super cheesy!”

I recently read that we make 10,000 decisions every day. 
It’s caused me pause to consider that statistic-
And awe of its magnitude. 
What am I choosing 10,000 times throughout my day?
Assuming there’s truth to it- such explains the degree of fatigue, exhaustion, and even peace and joy that any given day can be defined by. 
I recently took my granddaughter back-to-school shopping. 
We were hoping to find a dress she loved. We didn’t. We came home with a sweatshirt and a few hours of one-on-one time that will forever hold a place as a cherished memory. 
I’m in awe of her. I know some of what her future holds. But most of that story is hers to write in the 10,000 choices she makes each day. 
Her mom is an amazing human. I learn a lot from her. 
Our recent outing began with lunch. My granddaughter wanted to go for ramen, cheeseburgers, and macaroni and cheese. 
Yes.
All three. 
I told her to choose the one she wanted most that day. 
I giggled from the front seat as she talked through her decision, changing her mind multiple times. 
In the end- 
“Gramma- I just want something super cheesy…” won out and we had Chik-fil-a macaroni and cheese. 
We ordered and I told her to choose a seat. Even that was filled with a chat about whether a super tall seat, a bench, or a chair would be best. 
She chose a table close to the play area. 
She immediately took her shoes off and ran for a lap up the platform and down the slide. 
Moments later her kid-meal bag arrived and she ran back to the table, took a slurp of a bubbly Sprite, a bite of Mac and cheese, and was off for another lap through the play area. 
I watched the decisions she made- she would often hold the door open for another kid coming or going. 
She would sometimes help a younger child onto the first platform, as she quickly passed them ascending towards the top. 
Sometimes she would come off of the slide and round the corner to the back of the play area to busy herself with another activity. 
It would only ever be a few minutes before she returned to our table and took another bite before she was off and running again. 
This series of decisions continued for over an hour. I never intervened or guided her to stay put and eat while her food was hot. She didn’t care- so why should I…
She was flexing thousands of decisions over that hour. I was watching in awe as she pleasantly navigated them. 
I later found out-
This is normal. This is how her mom lets her “do” Chick-fil-A.
It’s brilliant. 
And necessary. 
Perhaps not the details-
But certainly the idea. 
Decision-making is important. 
Agency is our gift from God. 
We all need to learn how to use it and thus be accountable for those decisions. 
My granddaughter seems to be innately wise with her agency. Truth is-
She’s two generations stronger than me as we near the Savior’s return so she is going to need that strength. 
I was not so wise- 
Maybe I still wander a bit from the path of least resistance. 
I usually make a task harder than it needs to be.
Proof of that is held in my mom’s recent birthday celebration. I had no old-school matches and My lighter was empty. So my efforts to light her extra-tall gold candle already placed in the middle of a fudgy chocolate cake were futile. 
I went to my gas range, rolled up a notecard, grabbed a bowl outta the cupboard, and lit my rolled paper on fire with the flame from my range. I used the bowl to block air movement as I traveled across the room to light my mom’s candle. 
The flame blew out right as I tried to transfer it to the candle. 
Bummer. 
My daughter-in-law simply suggested-
“Why don’t you just light the candle at the range….”
Ok. 
Yeah. 
Duh. 
😂😂😂
But truthfully- this tells you my story. My life story. My brain usually solves a problem- just not always in the most direct or simplest of ways. 
This means- I’ve spent decades wearing myself out doing things and learning things the hard way. 
All of those 10,000 decisions every day have perhaps made me weary at times. 
And yet-
I’m very mindful of their importance. 
Perhaps intuitively so. Something about using my gift of agency is a truth familiar to my spirit. On even the smallest sub-conscious level – I recognize it as a blessing and responsibility from God. 
So how can I navigate life working through my 10,000 daily choices and avoid becoming overwhelmed?…
I have to choose what voice to listen to. 
Sometimes-
The voice is the adversary making a compelling argument. 
Sometimes-
It’s God whispering in a way that I’m challenged to drown out distractions to hear. 
And sometimes-
It’s people I’m blessed that God has placed in my path to help me. 
Sometimes the voice is hard to decipher. Sometimes I don’t listen and I fall. Sometimes I fall- but I’ve learned to get back up. 
And sometimes it’s simple. 
And I give credit to the brilliant mind who suggested I light the candle at the range and delight in getting to celebrate another birthday with Mom!!
-JC

Cookie Salad

1 small (3oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup buttermilk
8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1 ½ pound strawberries hulled and cut into pieces or slices
3 bananas (chilled). Slice right before serving.
5 bags of mini fudge stripe cookies

Mix together pudding mix and buttermilk until well blended. Fold in Cool whip.
Prepare strawberries and refrigerate fruit and pudding mixture until ready to assemble.
To assemble- fold fruit and cookies into pudding mixture. Reserve some cookies to garnish the top.
Serve and share immediately.