Today calls for some laughter.

Something to make us smile, to remind us that not everything is “that” serious.  I know, I get caught all too often in the trap of fixing and worrying and complaining about the day to day, that I forget to smile. Forget to belly laugh. Forget to walk away from the stress/pressure and look at the underbelly of life and just laugh at it!

Some of the best laughter comes from laughing at yourself.  Being able to just say “oh what the heck- I was just ridiculous”.  Other times, it might take a while to see the humor in the situation – you know everyone else thinks its funny, because they are laughing and you are not.  Then they are quick to tell you “I am not laughing at you, I am laughing with you!” Right!  Well – they are right – you’re just not “there” yet.  But you will be……

Our family laughs at each other on a regular basis.

A couple of us are just sitting ducks to be called out and laughed at. And this family is also good about NEVER letting “it” go.  We are happy to re-hash that one time when so and so did …….And laugh at them all over again!

Lets see if I can give you a couple of examples….

Something we did a number of times when the kids were young, was to save up enough for us to visit a theme park, a.k.a Six Flags style, once a summer. The kids loved the rides.  They would stand in line with their dad and spin around, plunge into water and drop from the highest roller coaster they could find.  Me – I brought the buggy (our word for a stroller) for the youngest one, a book and was the designated “holder” of water, and other sundry items of importance. And wait. And people watch. And then listen to their excitement about the ride.  Thank goodness for a dad that was willing to go on the rides!

On one of these visits, when our now 20 year old son was maybe about 5, we were coming to the end of a very long, hot day – probably somewhere in Texas.  Really I have no idea where – I have blocked it from my memory.  Dad and the three older kids were beside themselves because there were no lines and they could get off and ride again in quick fashion. I spoke the mean parent edict and said “last ride – we need to head out”!

One more roller coaster.

At the end of the ride they came running to me and all of them said “you have to go on this ride -it is awesome – you will love it!!”  I told them in no uncertain terms, absolutely not.  My DH, knowing my fear of heights in general and roller coasters in specific, assured me with these words: “This is really nothing – it is a great ride, not like a regular roller coaster.  I really think you will like it.”  Against my better judgement, I traded parenting roles with him… leaving him with the 5 year old and joined the 8,10 and 13 year old for the ride. I sat with my youngest daughter – the other two behind us in the next car. And I sucked it up.  My kids wanted their mom to ride with them – I was going to do this!!

From the moment the seat bar clicked into place and pulled up for the next car to load – I knew, as did EVERY OTHER person still in the park, that this was a big mistake. A really big mistake.  THE BIGGEST MISTAKE.

Let the screaming and panic commence.

And it continued while we sat suspended in mid air and as we dropped to the ground and wound up to do it again.  Let the tears flow – let the gnashing of teeth consume me. My knuckles were transparent they were so white.  Oh my gosh – STOP THIS RIDE I HAVE TO GET OFF.  Please, please, please get me off of this ride!! There is no way I can complete this ride, I am having a panic attack, call 911!  To say I was beyond terrified is putting it mildly. I was positive I was dying. I think this evangelical pastor’s wife said a bunch of really bad words too.  And to make matters worse – I was tragically reminded as this ride began that I had made a deal with God, on a similar ride, many years earlier, that I had gone on because I wanted to be with a boy.  Didn’t dare act like a baby then – there was a boy to impress – but I did tell God, very plainly, that if I lived through that ride I would honor His decision of life and NEVER ride a roller coaster again.  I reneged on my promise – and it was a promise to God.  Surely this was it – my life would end in the next 120 seconds, there was no doubt!

Switch perspectives

While I am dying, my children – 8,10 and 13 – are LAUGHING.  Not just smiling, or giggling – but laughing!  To be fair, the daughter I was sitting with did attempt at first to console me.  But she gave up and joined in the laughter. I believe that I was the best entertainment for the entire ride – probably for the entire park.  No admission price required.

Needless to say, much to some peoples chagrin, I walked off that ride fully alive without a scratch.

What happened next – is the best part.

I jumped out of the seat and with purpose and indignation, I strode right up to my DH and looked him in the eye and told him these exact words:

 

“I AM NEVER SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN!”

Yup – that is what I said.  Needless to say -he was biting the inside of his cheek and herding children as quickly as he could out of that amusement park to the mini van.  The ride to the condo was silent.

 

 

 

This experience is brought up regularly in our family – so that they can once again re-hash and re-live the hilarity, for them mind you, of my sheer panic that summer night. As days turned into weeks, months and now years, we all laugh together about how ridiculous the whole thing was.  And as you can well imagine – I didn’t carry out my proclamation against my DH.  There are days I am sure he wishes I had meant what I said standing there that night! Just imagine how peaceful our house would have been.

Tomorrow -example number two –  I will tell you his roller coaster story……

 

PS I made God promise to never let on I made a new deal with him if I got off of that ride in one piece. Bahahahahahahaha…