No Laughing Matter

For my Thankful Post today, I'm going to copy Yvonne and say I'm grateful for my sense of humor.

I'm the kind of person that laughs easily and often. I love to tease people and be teased by people. I like helping people laugh. If situations get too serious, I try to find humor to lighten the mood. Granted, there are times to be more restrained and/or reverent and I have to work hard to restrain the goofiness that wants to burst out of me. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

Today, I realized what a blessing it is to be able to laugh at one's self:

I was at choir practice. We were in the middle of a song and a choir member who came late was looking for music. I saw a folder on the bench next to me and, thinking it was extra, picked it up to hand to him. (There are usually several folders of music just sitting on the choir benches when we get to the chapel. No one's names are on them.) The lady sitting next to me literally yanked that music out of my hand, held it up and away from my reach and then hid it on the side of her where I couldn't see it or reach it.... like a two year old claiming her favorite dolly. And no, she isn't young.

Me, being me, smiled and in my light voice said, "Oh I'm sorry!"

She wouldn't look at me.

I touched her lightly and in a serious voice said, "I'm sorry. I thought it was extra music."

She ignored me still.

WHAT?!?!

She was so completely unforgiving of me touching her choir music that I actually went home in tears. At first, and for a long time afterward, I was M.A.D. Why doesn't she grow up? It was an honest mistake!!

Then I realized that not every one has the ability to laugh at stupid situations. Obviously this woman has some issues in her life or in her past that makes this sort of thing serious for her. Maybe she didn't hear my apology... I doubt it, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Then I thought of myself. If someone accidentally grabbed my music folder to hand to someone else, I would have laughed. The choir director would probably stop practice to bring me back in line. I certainly wouldn't have let that person go home feeling horrible and awful, crying their eyes out.

Life is short. Life is good. Laugh once in a while. You'll feel better and the people around you will like you better. (And you can bet I will sit by someone else next week!)