finding humor

Dear Brian,

A couple things around here have been making me laugh lately. I know how much you loved to laugh - how easily you found so much delight in life and circumstances and even the most questionably humorous programming. When things make me laugh, I want so badly to call you or rush in the door and tell you, "listen to what I heard today." So, I thought I would write them for you here today.

First of all, the boys and I went to the China buffet today. I was craving Egg Drop soup which is 90% of the reason I go there. The boys are generally pretty well behaved and enjoy making their own plates. I like watching Grant suck his thumb after touching all the sneeze-infested ladles and bacteria-ridden soft-serve handle. Oh, wait, I hate that part. I think I like going there so much because it was the last place the 4 of us went together. It is a precious memory to me as Gavin declared when we entered the parking lot that he loved that place and it was the only place he ever wanted to eat for the rest of his life. This was remarkable to us coming from a picky eater at a place that shares a parking lot with an adjacent McDonald's.

Anyway, I wanted to share my fortune with you.

"Be patient. The Great Wall of China did not got build in one day."

The incorrect grammar as the boys insisted I read it aloud made me laugh out loud. I know you would have cracked up and would have quoted it to me all night.

We were walking through our front yard today and this is blooming again:

I commented on the foul odor of the tree and Gavin said, "Yeah, we call it the tree with flowers that smell like farts." HOW TRUE!

Lastly, my cousin, Kaylie's 5 th grade religion class made us some sympathy cards. They must have done them the week you died because they were largely decorated with shamrocks, rainbows and and pots of gold. Most of the cards were genuine and sweet with an occasional misspelled word or a less than sensitive picture of a tombstone and a cemetery. Then, we came to THE CARD. Here it is:

This boy's complete breach of social etiquette has me in stitches. Note the broken heart on the cover. I read this card periodically throughout the day whenever I need a laugh. It is my favorite card of all the countless cards we have received. The brutal honesty of a child cannot be paralleled when it comes to warped humor- a brand we both enjoyed. I know this would have been your favorite card you showed everyone when they walked in the door. It fits you perfectly.

I miss and love you, Brian.

KEEP BELIEVING