Among those I love, all of them make me laugh.

"Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." — W. H. Auden 

I had been driving all day. My hip hurt, my knees hurt and I just wanted to go to bed. But, more than that, I wanted to see Susan, my niece, and her son, Coy. I seldom see them long enough at family functions to really talk, and I wanted  time to spend with Coy, now a tall, handsome, young man of sixteen. Susan has a new house in Tallahassee, Florida in a lush, clean resort area. 

We spent six hours together and we talked about both serious subjects and sad ones such as the passing of Coy's dad a few months ago. The teenager sat with his two great aunts and his mom and entertained us with his guitar, his self-deprecating stories that had us laughing out loud, and his videos on You Tube he had filmed. 

This evening we all laughed and told stories of awful teachers we had endured while in school, and shared successes as well. Susan is moving on with her life after the sudden loss of her husband, after losing both her parents within three months. She said she wept recently when going down the grocery aisle where she used to buy Miracle Whip just for Don. She prefers mayonnaise to Miracle Whip. Now she will no longer need to purchase Don's Miracle Whip. She laughed at herself for crying over this simple thing, but those who have lost a beloved husband will relate to this common feeling.  I understand so well how those little things bring forth a sudden rush of emotion when you least expect it.

And then Coy told about the time his dad gave her a huge jar of mayonnaise for Christmas, because she likes it. I like it, too. We discussed how, when we were kids, we made mayonnaise sandwiches when we came in after school. Simple, funny things we discover we have in common. That happens often with family members. It draws us even closer. I look at this grown up, mature woman who runs a business every day and now raises a son alone, and I remember when she was his age. She lived next door. I often watched her walking over the pastures and down the farm road, her long hair down her back. A tall, long-legged beauty, she looked like a magazine model.

Finally, Susan, my sister and I realized we had not had dinner so Coy ordered pizza. We ate at ten o'clock at night and laughed some more. I had been so tired when I left my room to go to Susan's new house, but when I left I was completely rejuvenated. I felt wonderful. I give laughter credit for my recovery.

Susan and her son, Coy

My niece, Susan, and her son, Coy White

Barry had a knack of making me laugh even when  I didn't think I could. I laughed so hard with Susan, Gay and Coy, that I came back to my room totally relaxed and ready for sleep.

What makes you laugh? Is there someone with whom you always find yourself laughing?