banana peels and whoopie cushions

I have decided I want-scratch that-absolutely need to laugh more.  

.

Furthermore I ask you what is funnier than humans?

Nothing, I say.  And, lucky me, I spend 100% of my time with the humanest human I ever did know (me.duh.).  So, without further fragments to spare China’s sensitive soul, here is my list of reasons why I am hilarious to myself.

Things that make me laugh out loud at myself (lolam):

The fact that I get pretty proud of myself when:
I parallel park (I think I am pretty good at it)
When I make a good pot of coffee at work (and tell them the coffee elves did it while I do inward cartwheels at my great success in the workplace)
When I make what I consider a really brilliant joke

Why shouldn’t I be proud of those things? They are amazing accomplishments...I mean...(insert laughter at above statement).  

I will only take vitamins consistently when it comes in gummy candy form.  
I have a hard time sometimes (today) eating bananas and tell myself I’ll put peanut butter on it to make myself do it, because really, I am simultaneously a 4 year old and a semi-grown up who has been around kids enough to know the tricks of getting them to eat things they should eat.  The tricks work on me, too.  

When I realize that I am bargaining with God or trying to trick Him or trying to prove that something good happened to me because I was X amount of holy that one time...that I can’t seem to remember now.  Funny human stuff right there.

When I repeat the same stupid thing for the umpteeth time (hey, it’s either laugh at my humanity or cry about it and I have wasted way too many tears on that front) so instead I:
a) accept it 2) ask for forgiveness if it’s a sin d) rejoice in His Divine Mercy and unstoppable and completely unreasonable Love for me 5) don’t get discouraged 6) and laugh 

When I remember myself and my siblings as kids and the really weird/hilarious things we did
i.e. Poses in the wind...

What is Poses in the Wind, you ask? Don't worry, I'll break it down for you.

Poses in the wind
definition: A past-time that only little girls would ever think of and actually spend hours doing involving mom's clothing, serious expressions, classical music and, you guessed it, poses in the wind.

Steps to successful poses in the wind photo/video (yeah, you read right, video) shoot:
1. Scrounge through your mom’s closet for her best semi-little women/anne of green gablesish clothing
2. Don the most stylish straw hats in said closet
3. Put on some of momma’s lipstick (make sure it’s a shade that jives with your skin tones)
4. Rock your best combination whimsical/pensive/grown-upish/great depression face
5. Stand in an awkward pose by a tree with another person dressed in similar attire and take a lot of photos. Bonus points if you catch the effects of the wind in the photo (hair flowing, clothing flutters etc.)
6. Don’t forget that video camera.  Play the best classical music in your house on a portable boom box at the chosen venue for the shoot, stand completely still in a classic poses in the wind pose, hold the pose and catch it all on film (be sure to use fade in fade out setting for that authentic poses in the wind vibe)

Pause for laughter that we did that (probably only my siblings can appreciate the depth of hilarity)

When I have a moment of joy and disbelief over my Heavenly Destiny.  Laughter accompanied by tears.  But that’s the good kind.  

 And that, my friends, is just a few reasons why I am worth laughing about sometimes.  The point I am trying to get across is that life is pretty funny.  It is often painful and difficult but that is why I am even more thankful that humans are funny creatures.  So are animals.  

Camels prove God has a sense of humor

God knew we needed people to slip on banana peels, make whoopie cushions, and wear those funny glasses with the nose and mustache connected to it.  We need to laugh at ourselves, to not take life too seriously when we don’t have to, and to just lighten the heck up (this lecture is very much for myself bytthedubs--I am numero uno take life too seriously lady-this is one of those “I am trying to turn over a new leaf and want others to join me” scenarios).  

So (I say to myself), love yourself in all your made-glorious-by-Jesus-becoming-human human glory.  Understand that you are human and that you do, more often than not (if you're like me), make a pitiful mess of things.  God knows we are human and He Loves us just as we are.  I am going to keep on trying to be good and holy and that is going to begin with reminding myself that I will never be good and holy on my own.  I rely completely on the Divine Mercy of our Lord made most present to us in the Eucharist.  Those funny, imperfect, humanish things that I do serve as a reminder to me daily that I need Him for everything.  So I laugh at my parallel parking pride, ask for the gift of humility, and move on with this funny, difficult, beautiful gift of life.  

As my dear friend Ale reminded me the other day in a moment when I desperately needed to be reminded of it (hello, Holy Spirit): “This life is shorter than Heaven”.  

Breathe, people.  All will be well.

And laugh.  A lot. Be a little silly, act like a kid sometimes and lighten up.  It feels really good. In moments and times of great pain and sorrow that I endured, laughter really was one of the greatest gifts when it came. Even if it takes purchasing a whoopie cushion, do it.