Been thinking of funny incidents that have happened to me throughout the years. I’ve been sitting in my reading chair laughing the afternoon away. When Chief and I came back from our honeymoon we went to church together for the first time. I was attending the Presbyterian Church in Alexander City and sang in their church choir. Chief was a member of St. James Episcopal Church. I had planned to join the Episcopal Church after we married. After church we walked over to a group of older women so Chief could introduce me. These were smartly dressed proper “church ladies,” small purses clutched in their hands, the matriarchs of the church, standing in the church parking lot talking. We walked over and Chief said, “This is my wife, Jane.” One of them piped up all serious and said, “Tom, I thought her name was Lane!” We women got hysterical and Chief was mortified. Guess he was still a nervous groom. In the 41 years I knew him he never called me Lane and I never called him Tom. He called me Susie, said my eyes reminded him of the wildflower black-eyed susan, and I called him Chief because he was Editor in Chief of Russell’s publications. One we had children he began calling me Mama.

When I was in high school I went to an exhibition game of the Harlem Globetrotters in my high school’s gym. Half way through the basketball game one of the shortest Globetrotters, Curly Neal, ran up the bleachers, pulled one of my shoes off, and ran back to the gym floor. He held that shoe up to the players’ noses and the Globetrotters fainted to the floor. I was embarrassed but everybody laughed, including me. Curly ran back up the bleachers and put my shoe back on and the players were revived.

Last summer on vacation in Hilton Head with my grandchildren we went to the movies to see the latest Jurassic Park movie. All the way to the movie my granddaughter was chattering about the two chihuahuas that live at the theater. Sure enough, as we got our tickets, I saw the two “shewawas” running around in little Jurassic Park T-shirts. We got our snacks and walked in the theater and I forgot all about the little dogs. About halfway through the movie when the dinosaur was getting ready to eat someone, one of those little chihuahua heathens licked my leg! I had a come apart with cardiac arrest. If my drink had not been in the cup holder I would have rained Coke all over everyone. I jumped like a rattlesnake had bitten me. My granddaughter laughed herself silly and then said, “Patty, why do these things always happen to you?” I don’t know and I wonder, too. Sat with my feet up through the rest of the movie.

After Rosie‘s death, we had to buy a new car. She’d been driving my car when she had her accident. We bought a Tahoe. You know how some men think we women are stupid well…. About two days after we purchased the Tahoe, I came home from work and I couldn’t get the key out of the ignition. I tried and tried and Chief tried so I drove out to the dealership where we bought it. The man in the mechanic shop said rudely, “Ma’am all you do is pull the key straight out of the ignition.” I said, “I’ve tried to pull the key out 5000 times.” Impatiently he says he’ll show me how. He showed me alright. He pulled the key out and the whole key ignition piece came out of the steering column. I said cheerfully, “Told you the key would not come out.” Needless to say but the dealership repaired the ignition at no cost to us.

Years ago I was visiting Walt Disney World with my cousin. We’re riding the monorail, talking happily and the monorail jerks to a stop. We hear static over the train’s intercom, then a woman says. “The monorail has lost power for the first time in 13 years.” My cousin stands up and says, “It’s okay. It’s just Lane. Things happen when she’s along.” No words….

Went to Hardee’s drive-through one time to get a biscuit. I didn’t do that much so I was all excited. I got to the window, she asks for the money and I give her a five dollar bill. Before she hands me the biscuit, she tells me I didn’t pay. I tell her I did. She says I’m getting the manager. So she gets the manager and he says, “She said you didn’t pay for the biscuit.” I said, “Look in the cash register drawer. I just gave her a five dollar bill and it says call Jane in blue ink on the back of the bill.” They opened the cash register drawer, looked at the five dollar bill and she slapped the biscuit in my hand. Didn’t say anything. I should have said, “Kiss my grits as I drove away.”

I love to laugh and I think I have a good sense of humor. Scripture in Proverbs 17:22 tells us, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” I know God must laugh and often tell his angels to look down on our antics, joining him in laughter. Job 8:21 reads, “He will fill you mouth with laughter and your lips with sounds of joy.” God gave us the gift of laughter as a tool against stress and anxiety. Laughter can calm our worries and fears, too.

I think our smiles are testaments of our love for God. A thankful heart beams a genuine smile.

“Laughter is the language of the soul.” — Pablo Neruda