The last couple of days I have been laughing myself silly over a cake that my sister made that was not quite the masterpiece she intended it to be. It looked so terrible that I laughed so hard I couldn't speak or breathe and every time I retell the story I laugh just as hard.
It's that no-sound-hoarse-can't-breathe-tears-streaming-down-your-face-doubled-over-kinda laughter that my dad was so great at. He was a great story teller, and when he found something that was truly funny, he laughed this hard every time he repeated it. If you were listening to him tell that story, you too would start to laugh. He was so funny to watch and to listen to! This super tough, usually cranky kinda guy who all the sudden is giggling, then downright cracking up while wiping tears off his face and attempting to finish the story in this squeaky, high pitched voice was really something to watch.
I remember him and I laughing this hard one time in church. Yep, that's right, in the middle of Sacrament Meeting. He and I were sitting next to each other somewhat listening to the speaker. They said something that made my dad and I look at each other and start to silently giggle. I can't remember what it was that we thought was so funny, but it was just he and I that seemed to get the joke. Then the speaker said something else along the same lines, and he and I totally lost it. We were both bending over trying to conceal our faces, laughing that silent laugh as hard as we could. We both were wiping away the tears trying not to be the first one to take a breath and start howling out loud. We must have been making enough noise, because the people sitting in front of us turned around to look to see what was going on. Then mom noticed. She whipped her head around and glared at us, mortified that we would be acting so inappropriate in the middle of church!! We eventually controlled ourselves without either of us actually making a sound out loud. We pretty much avoided looking at each other though cause every time we did, we started to giggle again.
That is one of my most favorite memories of me and my dad. A joke that only he and I got, laughing the same way, in a very odd moment. I love it.
I will never forget that laugh. I hear it again every time I laugh.
Thanks for the gift of laughter, dad. I love you.
Bug
He would do this when we sat in church. He would find something funny and get me going. He really liked to make me laugh when singing the hymns! Sing it from the hymnal Beck!
ReplyDeleteBecky