Grief Cracks Me Up!

CAPTION: "Let's see, where should I lay my little egg...hmmmm?"

 

Grief is an odd beast. It’s odd, maybe, because most of us don’t have to deal with it every day. One of its odd qualities is that of having the power to release every single emotion in its rawest form. Decorum be damned! And I remember the shock of discovering we are talking about EVERY emotion.

For those of you still waiting for your first dose, let me warn you. When you get done screaming at a wall? When you get done creating your lake of tears? You are likely to fall into a laughter seizure that may last for days.

And, oh, there is the sensitivity. You see, hear, and feel everything. If we grieved every day we’d all be artists. You want to hug EVERYONE! You find out you can draw, you begin thinking you can sing and dance. I imagine I can still do a one and half off the diving board? For the record? I cannot!

 

And you look for signs, omens, and reasons to carry on. Such was the case with my sister Theda. Coming home from the hospital the night her 41 year old daughter died, she was looking for some life symbol that would encourage her to carry on. Well, she steps inside her living room, and there, precariously perched on the mantle, is a wild baby bird just chirping away. That might have been something she'd have missed had she not been  grieving.

 

And here’s one for laughter. The funny thing (pun intended) is you start looking for things that are funny. Laughter beats crying. So Peggy and I are in Kinkos? (I’m still laughing. Stand by.) It’s hot and I’m a little cranky. We’re in a hurry and need to use their computer, printer and photo print maker in that order. The Latina Maiden operating the establishment lovingly senses my raw emotions. She jumps right into the fray HELPING me to save both time and money. And she does it all with a smile. I have to be honest with you. THIS type of encounter has never taken place for me in a KINKOS. I am so impressed I want to write the company to praise Evelyn Joaquin. So what do I say?

 

“Do you have your card?”

 

And what does she say as she reaches into an apron pocket?

 

“Do you mean my GREEN CARD?”

 

That does it. I am doubled over, laughing, half crying, dancing, singing, but mostly laughing. But, ah, we are not there yet.

 

As she is now laughing and dancing she holds up her GREEN CARD! Turns out Kinkos gives all its employees GREEN CARDS for operating all the machines.

 

So now we are both laughing even harder. I look over to see that Peggy, who hasn’t even heard this exchange, is now laughing by association. So we all get control of ourselves, get some receipts and then Evelyn pulls out her big gun.

 

“I do have the OTHER GREEN CARD if you’d like to see it.”

 

She hasn't even given us any recovery time.

Now I have to tell the story to everybody, and then laugh all over again.

 

I don’t know how funny that would have been without grief. But I’ll bet any one of you who’ve suffered a big loss are giggling right along with me.

So if you are ever in Arcadia, California playing the ponies at Santa Anita, and you need a good laugh? You just stop in at the Kinkos on Huntington drive and ask Evelyn Joaquin for her GREEN CARD.

 

So we’re back in Denver picking up the car at the airport? We pay our fee and look up simultaneously to see something strange under the windshield. You see it up there? It’s a bird’s nest, with an egg gently laid in its straw. MORE SIGNS OF LIFE! Isn't that odd?