It’s hard to know where to even begin on the topic of help, frankly. I’ve started this blog over and over, with endless perspectives in my mind about what it means to be willing to ask for help, and to receive it. This is a big theme in my life, as like so many midwives I’m a helper by trade and personality. A great deal of my career has been spent encouraging mothers to ask for and receive support, and teaching them that it also gifts the giver. But recently the theme was up close and personal; I needed quite a lot of physical help while I healed from a ruptured disc in my back, right at the time I thought I’d be celebrating a new season of independence by stepping back from being on call after 40 years.

It’s wonderful to revisit the smooth, silky texture of our childhood jello with clean ingredients. This recipe is ridiculously quick and easy; I’ve broken out each step here for the newbies who may, like I did, feel intimated using plain gelatin for the first time. But everyone’s a jello expert the second time around!