Dad

Almost 12 years without my father and I can laugh again by God's grace, but I miss my dad everyday... always & forever.

PIE PALS by Barbara Johnson

Even in laughter the heart may ache. Proverbs 14:13

When you've been knocked to the floor by bad news or splattered on the ceiling by unwelcome surprises, it's hard to believe you'll ever laugh again. I know. I've been there! I also know what  and a blessing it is when someone comes along to lift you yo your feet or scrape you off the ceiling and coax a little laughter out of you.

My friend Rose tells how a group of her pals helped her laugh on the unlikeliest of days. Rose's husband had fought a long battle against cancer, and by the end of the ordeal, Rose was devastated by both sorrow and exhaustion. 

When she returned  home after the funeral, her house was filled with the somber conversation of caring friends and loved ones. But as Rose walked to her bedroom she heard an unexpected sound: the muted but unmistakable squeal of giggles. She opened the door to find three of her closest friends sitting on the bed, holding a pie and four forks.

" Oh, Rose, we stopped by Marie Callender's to buy you a pie, and we had the biggest argument over which kind is your favorite," one friend explained. By their faces, Rose could tell it had a friendly argument. She could also tell they were dying to eat the pie - and didn't want to share it with the rest of the crown! Rose sat down on the bed with her pals and enjoyed a large piece of pie - and another round of giggles.


Rose has many poignant memories of that sad day. But the gift of laughter her secretive pie pals gave her is surely one of her most cherished.