We spent last night laughing.  And laughing.  And laughing some more.  Silly jokes, puns and hysterical ideas tossed around the table to celebrate a birthday.  The evening flew by, time disappeared and our faces ached and we had to hold our stomachs with the muscle pain of more and more laughter.

This is, supposedly, something only humans do–laugh.  I doubt it, actually, but it is truly a spiritual gift.  It extends life, spans dimensions and defies death.  At my father’s memorial service it was clear he sent us a joke, and we sat in the front row, shoulder’s shaking, convinced we could hear his laughter at the illusion of his life ending.  We’ve all been in the middle of a God joke–getting stuck in line and seeing an old friend, taking a wrong turn and finding a treasure, opening to the gift of a mistake.

Today I rest on the laurels of the spirit of laughter.