Laughter and tears

I am reading through Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott – for the second time now.  Sometimes it seems like the right book comes along at just the right time. This one and Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller have been gifts to my spirit.  I mean, they are so real and honest that, like life, they alternately make me want to laugh or cry. And a lot of life seems to be like that – alternating between hysterical laughter and tears.  Reading their stories I see God in their lives and I also recognize places where God is working in mine.  So they give me hope and help me appreciate who I am in God’s eyes.

Today a patient and her husband dropped into our office.  We just found out that the cancer she thought she had fought and won out over is back and is not expected to go away.  We called them last week about an overdue account – which is not at all like them.  He came in and, in tears, told us the news.  We sent her flowers and today they came in together to say thanks. 

It was an example of life’s tears and laughter which came today in almost the same breath.  D has a great sense of humour.  I hope it holds up since I think in some ways humour is like a healing balm from heaven – at least it helps the bystanders around cope and carry on with some sense of normalcy. One of her wishes, when her kids were done with their braces, was to get her own teeth straightened.  “I guess I won’t be needing braces.” she said today as we exchanged a big hug.