The brief moments my family was able to laugh that first year following seventeen-year-old Joseph’s death kept our grieving family sane. Some of our amusement came at my expense.
A few months following his brother’s death my youngest son, then twelve years old, desperately wanted a dog. A counselor advised that pet therapy is an incredible aid in grief recovery. And so I embarked upon the search for the perfect canine addition to our family. I placed high demands on our would-be pet to be maintenance-free, protect our home, and heal our broken hearts.
Quite frankly, had I been told it might mend my boys’ broken hearts, I was not above begging, borrowing, or stealing ANYTHING that might bring laughter back into their lives.
Burying my child was the most difficult undertaking of my life. A very close second was watching my other two precious sons grieve, knowing there was nothing I could do to take their pain away. I longed for the days I could fix everything for them with a kiss and a Charlie Brown bandaid.
And so I called a local vet and requested a breed recommendation.
I explained that I wanted a healthy breed, not one prone to disease or illness. My boys had already lost their brother and didn’t need anything else jerked out of their lives.
Without equivocation, our new puppy had to be robust and preferably come with a written lifetime guarantee.
Furthermore, I wanted one that would not be problematic for allergy or asthma sufferers. My preferences, too, were that it be a breed easy to train if it wasn’t already housebroken, and the star pupil of obedience school. And I did not want one that would shed.
My lengthy must-have list continued.
The vet’s chuckles turned into full-blown belly laughs when he finally interrupted and blurted out, “Mrs. Ramsey, I think you need a stuffed animal.”
I realized how absurd my wish list was and felt relief laughing along with him. It was in that instant that I grasped the importance and healing power of laughter.
We bought our family a miniature schnauzer that Christmas. Each of us fell head over heels in love with our funny little Blanca.
A prayer for grieving children …
Lord,
Thank you for laughter! And thank you for the many other gifts and people that you provide to help heal our grief. Right now I lift up every grieving child. Comfort them, Lord. Let them know that you are with them always an care about every detail of their lives. Use their grief to do mighty things for You.
Amen.