Military Monday: Laugh

My husband and I took a cruise in the Mediterranean for our honeymoon a whole lot of years ago. We opted for the shared dining experience in the big dining room, and were fortunate enough to share our table with a family of five from Hamilton. I can't remember their names...only that dad was a lawyer and mom was a nurse and the kids were all in their mid to late teens.

This Hamilton family expanded their space to us and we became part of their unit over the next few days. I remember thinking how nice it was that they were travelling as a family, even though the kids were older. That at a time when most kids wanted nothing to do with their parents, their three almost-grown children wanted to be with their parents. I admired them as a family. Why?

They were having FUN together.

They joked with Dad about the 'real leather vest' (obviously fake) he'd bought off of a pedlar on the street. They giggled about how Dad had danced with the feather-boa clad entertainers on stage. Mom smiled and daughters whispered and son tried to look mature and grown-up, and they teased and joked and giggled and five course meals passed in seconds.

I remember thinking that some day, I wanted a family like that.

This family stuck with me as my husband and I had children of our own over the next few years. And now in the blink of an eye we have teens. (How is that possible? Weren't they just babies yesterday?) Our life is crazy and hectic and with two careers and military life and a farm and a thousand extra-curriculars, I wonder how we can possibly make it to next week, let alone manage stay together as a family. When hubby is on one side of the world and I'm knee deep in assorted excrement (think dog, cat, sheep, chicken, horse...) and I have to somehow get three kids to three different parts of the country by myself, on a day I have to be at work, and I've got writing deadlines and groceries to buy and laundry to do and--oh yes!--did I mention it's posting season and the house has to be spotless because the real estate agents are taking pictures while we're out?

I'll tell you how we manage.

We laugh.

We giggle and we joke and we do silly things and instead of taking things seriously, we take risks.
We  go skiing when it's thirty below zero. We drive to places we've never seen. Dad tells the same silly jokes over and over and when he goes away we eat popcorn for supper and play loud music and dance.

Sometimes it's hard to laugh. When people are sick, when the money is short, when friendships go awry or when bad things happen. When reunions get delayed.  When information doesn't get passed on. When Dad misses a birthday. There will always be a fine line between laughter and tears. There's nothing wrong with tears. Tears are strength in liquid form.

But if at all possible, tip things upward and giggle. Find something in it to laugh about.

Ten years later we'll look back on the difficult times and laugh. We'll wonder what we were so worried about. Because really, laughter is background music for great family memories.

Brenda


"I think laughter may be a form of courage. As humans we sometimes stand tall and look into the sun and laugh, and I think we are never more brave than when we do that."
                   ~Linda Ellerbee

Ice in April? (And the Liebster award...)

YUCK. Spring may have sprung but my back yard is covered in glassy ice like this:


Not cool. So I was fortunate enough to be able to opt out of the nasty commute today, and I'm using the unexpected day off to get caught up on a few things (like sitting by the fireplace, reading my book, drinking coffee...) and maybe do a teensy bit of writing. The interwebs are soooooooo slooooow...(ice on the receiver?) so hopefully we'll be able to upload.

Yesterday I was tagged x 2 by writer friends for the Liebster Award--Thanks Yelena and Vanessa! I'm not a big 'tagger', but there are some great questions and why not? So here goes.

The first thing you have to do is tell 11 (eleven) little known facts about yourself. Hmmmm.... That's hard.

1. I LOVE curry. Thai curry, Indian curries, green curry, yellow curry...you name it. I love it. Just as long as it's not fire-hot spicy. I buy the frozen stuff whenever I can, but nothing beats a great curry restaurant.

2. After the curry, my favorite dessert in the whole world is Sticky Toffee Pudding. Best place in the world to get it? The Woodman Inn in Fernham, UK.

3. When I was six I was convinced I would grow up to be an obstetrician.

4. I own and play a 31 string Celtic harp. Not well, but there ya go.

My lovely harp

5. I also play the piano, again not well. An aside- one of my childhood piano teachers is now the
President of the Canadian Medical Association! (Congrat's Chris!)

6. I was once a member of the New Brunswick Gifted Children's Association.

7. I graduated at the very top of my high school graduating class, winning a whole bunch of awards. A decade or so later I had kids and they took all of my brain cells with them. ;)

8. Do I really have to do 11?

9. I used to have a cat named 'None Of Your Business'. We called her NOYB.

10. If there is music with lyrics playing, I can't concentrate. I can only write with soft instrumental playing in the background...or nothing at all.

11. This is number 11. I love number 11. And the colour green. Did you notice I spelled colour with a 'U'?

Phew! That part is done!! On to the Questions... I'll answer 5 of each Vanessa's and Yelena's.

From Vanessa...

1. What is your favorite vacation you've ever taken? The last big family trip we took--to Italy, Croatia and Greece. A combination of Villas, Apartments and Cruising. More about it here:

2. What is your biggest pet peeve? Toss up b/w people chewing with their mouth open (ick) and people who throw still-lit cigarette butts out of their windows while driving on major highways. Especially at night. Drives me CRAZY.

3. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Amityville Horror? Couldn't watch the whole thing. I don't do scary movies.
4. Name one food you cannot live without. Popcorn.

5. Pirates or Ninjas? Pirates. Especially the Johnny Depp kind. Sorry ninja folks! But I do love my ninjas too!
From Yelena:

1.  When did you start writing? I started writing seriously about six years ago.

2. Who is the one author you'd like to sit down with and talk if you could? JK Rowling. I'd love to know what goes on in her head.

3. Who is your favorite fictional character? Elizabeth Bennett.

4. Beach house, country house or city apartment? Would love to have all three?? But live in a country house now...

5. Tea or coffee? COFFEEEEEEEEEEE. Need to go make some after all of these questions!

So there you go!! And now to tag other poor unfortunate souls...

The Liebster Rules: 1. The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers.
2. Each blogger should post 11 facts about himself / herself.
3. Each blogger should answer the 11 questions that are asked by the nominating blogger.
4. Choose 11 new bloggers to nominate for the Award and link to them in the post.
5. Create 11 new questions for your nominees.
6. Go back to their pages and tell them they've been nominated.
7. No tag backs.

My Questions??? (shamelessly plagiarized from other Liebsters)

1. Tea or Coffee? This is important!
2. Favourite place you've ever lived?
3. Plotter or Pantser?
4. What's the biggest writing related gaff/writing crime you've committed?
5. When did you join twitter?
6. Favourite flower?
7. Favourite music to listen to while writing?
8. Write and edit at the same time, or edit at the end?
9. Do we have to do 11?
10. What's your favourite question to ask some poor unsuspecting blogger? (heh, heh, heh)
11. What time is it?

There! And I tag...

Vicki L Morrison (whose life is incredibly busy and will likely never have time to reply, but she IS my BFF...
And everyone else who has taken the time to read my drivel and get to the bottom.