Laynie's Lessons: Finding Humor

Our family is weird.  That's just all there is to it.  We are weirdos.

We dance in Old Navy, and Lacey slaps my butt and then we remember that we are in public, and look around and find people laughing and pointing.  That is a true story.

We really laugh a LOT in our family.  Laugh and laugh and laugh.

I think laughter is what got us through the hard days.  It's hard to find something to laugh about when everything looks so bleak, but I urge you to try it.

I love this video of Laynie with her hand stuck in her sleeve.  Her body was basically running out of blood every few weeks, and yet her spirit and laughter remained until the end.

The day we found out about Laynie, we were went to Chili's to try to process it, and we hadn't even smiled at this point.   To say we were devastated is putting it mildly.  We talked and talked about every possibility that day, and after we had talked for a couple of hours, I made the statement, in all authority and "mom"-ness, trying to calm my children's souls..."Well, just think about it this way... WE WON'T KNOW TIL WE KNOW, THEN WE"LL KNOW."   Now before those words came out of my mouth, I thought it would be a great thing to say.  But the minute they rolled out... giggles started bubbling out of all my kids.  We laughed and laughed and laughed.  We accepted God's plan for us in that moment.  The moment we took "US" out of it and our worry and our "SELVES" and just let God have it.... it was profound.

The original diagnosis for Laynie was holoproencephaly (I think that's how you spell it), but when we first heard it, no one could comprehend it (we weren't experts at medical terms at that point), so Lacey just called it "Holy Moly".   I will never forget when she called me and yelled in my ear.. "MOM, the doctor read the xrays of her brain and they are pretty sure it's NOT HOLY MOLY".   Laughter, tears, and laughter.

In Steel Magnolias, at one of the most intense moments in the movie, Sally Field is just losing it over her daughter dying, and her friends diffuse the pain with humor.  "Laughter through tears" is the best feeling in the world, they exclaim... and it's so true.

We have sooo many funny stories to share, I could write a book just on those.  A few that pop out in my memory are how Lacey reacted when we found out that Laynie was going to have to have glasses.... "Well, if she already isn't weird enough, let's slap some glasses on her"  *laughing as I'm typing that*

If I thought anyone was staring too long at her out in public, and Lacey was getting uncomfortable, I would catch their eye and look at Laynie, and tell them.. "She just needs the glasses for reading"  and they would laugh and move on, or the braver ones would ask "IS she a preemie???"   Nope, just a little dollop of sunshine, sent to us to teach us all.

Even at the hospital, those last few times up there for Laynie's transfusions, we tried to find humor.  Lacey was so exhausted from being on her feet and taking care of Laynie, and Laynie's insistence on moving during that transfusion, we had to get creative.  Normally she would sit in the wagon and we could pull her, but as she got weaker, she knew, and wanted to be held every second, and of course, we were going to hold her no matter what.  Lacey and I rigged the wheelchair and the iv pole, and walked and walked those halls.  Funny and sad all wrapped up in one memory.

She even worked it so she could push it with her feet so she didn't have to hang her arm.  We are very talented people.

Friends....life is so hard.  There is PLENTY to make us sad and worried.  PLENTY.  But God asks us to give HIM those worries, and to live JOYFUL and abundant.  

Laynie taught us that through all the pain of life, keep your sense of humor.  Laugh and Laugh and Laugh.  She LOVED to laugh.

Imagine our delight and surprise when, after being told she would never be able to respond to us, when this started happening.....  Laughter.... probably not even 4 pounds, about 12 weeks old here, and anytime I show this video to my mom....she still tears up.  We couldn't believe we were going to have a laughing baby.... Still gives me chills....Boy did she show us.... Boy did God show up.  

Laynie may not have taught us how to laugh....but we learned to laugh through hard times.... That's what our girl taught us.