Learning Through Laughter and Leisure

I am not a big fan of bathroom humor. 

I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not a stick-in-the mud, I enjoy a good joke. I just don't really see anything funny about bodily functions that are better left in the privacy of ones powder room.

However, having preteens in the house, the bathroom humor is often hard to ignore. Although I must say, they are very sensitive to my anti-bathroom-humor ways.

So it was yesterday when the kids asked me to read to them at lunch. We don't do this every day, or even very often, but they asked and I for once, decided to set aside the To-Do List of my day and sat to eat/read with them.

We've slowly been making our way through this bible. It was laying on the counter so I grabbed it. I opened it to where the bookmark was stuffed and read, Chapter 14, Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 18 & 19.

This is the story of Abraham who is pleading with God to spare the wicked cities for the good people who may live there.

I had finished my lunch and was anticipating what I needed to get done in the afternoon and in all honesty I wasn't really paying attention to what I was reading out loud. I sort of stumbled on the verbiage, but after about three minutes I began to read this paragraph:

The Lord answered Abraham, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, then I will spare the whole city for thier sake." Abraham knew there were not fifty people who trusted God in wicked Sodom. He said, "Behold, now, I have taken it upon me to speak unto the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there will be five less than fifty righteous....."

This is when The Girl quizzically, gingerly, interrupted, did you just say butt dust?

What??

Butt dust. Did Abraham just say he was butt dust and ashes?

I couldn't figure out what she was saying until I went back and re-read the paragraph. 

Sure enough. I looked up to see the kids trying their best to remain reverent, after all we were reading the Word of God. 

But y'all, it was more than I could handle and I started laughing that belly aching, tear staining uncontrollable laugh that continued on for quite awhile. I diligently tried to read some more, but it was over. I was done and wasn't sure I'd be able to stop laughing. 

The kids laughter didn't help at all. The more they laughed the more I laughed. By the time we stopped we were out of breath and ready to rest.

No. I'm not a fan of bathroom humor, but I am a fan of lighthearted moments shared with my family. I know that I often miss them because I am so intent on getting something done; focused on crossing another To-Do off the list. 

I'm glad that I took the time yesterday to laugh. To make a memory that will forever go down in the La Vida household history. 

And in the future, when we need a laugh in times of hardship, two word will be all it takes to lighten up the mood, and remind of us of our ties within the family:

Butt dust.