Monday's Mirth

When you intentionally mark the good, you tend to find more.    I am so thankful for joy in my life.    I could easily say that my best friend, in and of herself, brings me great joy.  And, while I'm not trying to always poke fun at her, she does give me those doubled over belly laughs that are too good not to share.

For the sake of anonymity I've decided to call her Lucy.  Saturday, my daughter and I were picking up lunch when Lucy called.  From the tone of her voice, I could tell that something was wrong.   She is a very hands on mother of 8 very busy children. 

Lucy, who is just about to embark upon a new generation, was shopping for the family;  baseball items for the small boys and grocery  items for the rest of the gang when her husband called her.  During the conversation she decided to visit the restroom so she parked her cart outside and went to the restroom.  As she  exited the room something caught her eye......a urinal. 

Then,  her eyes scanned the room to find a man.  It utter panic (she can really go places during panic), she ducked her head and shielded her eyes in an effort to afford the poor bloke at the urinal a little dignity.  Hurriedly,  she scurried outside, grabbed her cart, without any memory of where she was needing to go next.  When she felt that she was safely out of the sight of urinal guy, she looked down and realized that she had taken an empty cart from outside the restroom.

Back she went, bobbing and weaving, hyper vigilant for a urinal guy sighting.  Finally she reaches her cart,  finishes up and gets into a checkout line.  She was almost home free when she heard whispers coming from behind  her.  As she began to slowly and carefully look behind her she felt that perhaps there was pointing and glancing her way.......

By this point I couldn't breathe.  I couldn't speak.  And, tears were starting to trickle down my face.  A gentleman across from me was not so happy that I was "party of one".  But, I didn't care.  It was a  minute of unexpected merriment. 

To Lucy, I say thank you for comedic relief that you provide.  It could have been worse.  When my grandmother, who wore those really thick glaucoma glasses, went in the men's room in some small restaurant in a tiny Mississippi town years ago and saw a man, she gave him a lecture about how indecent it was for him to be in there. 

I talked with my son tonight.  He is beginning to sound more reasonable.  He knows that he probably can't come home again.  But, he was thankful for some of the fellas he works with and so am I.  I am thankful for friends, mine and his.  I'm thankful for those who don't judge.  I pray for our sons and daughters and I say a prayer for Henry.