Ever had one of those Akward Days? The kind in which you go out in public the first time in years, then get frightened so dreadfully you accidentally set the town hall on fire. You fall of ladders, get your pants caught in your bicycle, then miss the boat. To top that off your identical cousin bilks your community out of thier life savings in your name, then, to end the day you discover that your young niece and nephew think you are a vampire. THAT's a Jasper Dale Day.

Ok, maybe Jasper never had it quite that bad in one day, but he did experience many, many times when things just didn't go right. What I find refreshing about Jasper is that he is delightfully human and fallible. He has a hard time expressing himself, has very little coordination, and just always seems to be laughed at.

I think all of us have a bit of Jasper in us...we are unsure of ourselves, we bump into things, we just can't seem to speak fast enough or say the right things. I know I am! At the top of my head I have, in this past year, bumped into a sign at Dairy Queen when looking at an atractive guy, only to spill my soda afterwards... I fell head over heals over a table in front of my little students. One day I was so startled by the appearance of my boss at a store that I literally gasped and jumped, and I can't count the number of times I locked myself out of my apartment when I took the trash out. And, I'm always toungue tied.

What I love about Jasper is that he takes it in stride. Even with all the laughter and stares he forgets it and goes on... and he still finds it in his heart to be kind to others. He can ever laugh at himself on occasion. We could learn a lot from him. He's wonderful!