Love & Laughter

Walking up the pathway, I could see the early buds sprouting on the branches of the overhanging tree. The blue sky held promises of the warmth to come, and the cool breeze blew warnings of wishful thinking. The snowdrops had all but vanished as the daffodils pushed forth and crowded the edge of the walkway with their jostling sunny smiles.

I knocked on the door of the house and waited. My breath was shallow and rapid. My pulse jumping and there was a little bead of sweat creeping out from my hairline slowly making its way down my temple.

“Why am I so anxious?” I thought to myself. I’ve been to a gazillion mediums. But this time it felt different. This time it felt heavy. I had intentions and purpose flooding through my mind. Expectations.

What if there is no message? What if everything I’ve believed is fake?

What if there is a message and I don’t want to hear it?

So many thoughts racing through my head as I stood, waiting, breathing, heart thumping, sweating.

The door opened and a small-framed woman with kind eyes surrounded by starbursts of wrinkles greeted me. Her face lit up as she smiled up at me and the starburst eyes exploded into rays of sunshine. She was crowned in a halo of silver-gray curls and wore a light pink frock that hung just below her knees. Her white sweater wrapped around her shoulders, gently hugging her in its snowy embrace.

We exchanged pleasantries as she led me into her room. It was dimly lit and there was a delicate scent of flowers drifting in the air. I settled myself into a comfortable chair that sat across from her. A table filled the space between us with the requisite stack of cards, crystals, and adornments.

“I feel a heaviness about you,” she started as she settled into her high-backed red leather chair. Then she sighed and smiled. Reaching across the table, she took my hands in hers. “Will you do me a favor and close your eyes and take three long, deep breaths? I can feel your heart pounding from over here.”

I did as she instructed, inhaling the intoxicating scent of the flowers. With my eyes closed, I took several long, deep inhales and exhales. She sat across from me, and I could feel her smiling at me through my closed eyes.

“There is someone here who is very eager to speak with you,” she began. “Did you lose someone you love recently?”

The tears erupted. Even though I told myself I wouldn’t cry. No matter what she said.

“Yes,” I choked. “A few months ago.”

“Ok, that explains the strong connection. He’s a very forceful person.”

I smiled as I imagined him pushing his way through all the other spirits. He’d be wearing his favorite light blue work shirt with his dark blue trousers and his leprechaun smile from ear to ear.

“He tells me that you’ve had a bit of a rough patch lately and he’s worried about you. He’s sorry he can’t be here for you and he’s soooo proud of you. Oh, he has such a lovely smile. Did he have rather large sideburns?

I cried and laughed as I spluttered, “Yes, he always wore thick 50's style sideburns. Nothing too crazy. And he had a wonderful smile.”

“He feels like a father figure. Is that accurate?”

“Yes,” I whispered, desperately trying to compose myself as the tears streamed down my face.

“Well, he says that you need more love and laughter in your life. He thinks you’re being too serious and taking on too much. He wants to see you happy again.”

I don’t remember much after that. I sobbed and listened as she moved on to reading my cards. The rest of the visit was much like many others I’d had. I’ve passed through some tough times. I’m surrounded by so many people who love and support me. Anything I want is possible.

I left the session, my eyes red and swollen, and slowly made my way home. That night, I dreamed my father visited me. He gave me a little floppy-eared bunny with a white heart on its head. He told me I had to take it with me wherever I went. So, I tucked it into my handbag as I went off to work. While I was sitting in a large meeting, I pulled the little critter out and placed it on my lap. Listening to the presentation, I stroked the soft, velvety ears and traced the white heart on its head with my fingertip. All the while wondering what the heck I was supposed to do with a floppy-eared rabbit. And why did I need to take it with me wherever I went?

I woke up and the dream’s power and energy stayed with me throughout the day. There was no coincidence that my dream had centered around my father and there was some significance in the message. But a floppy-eared bunny? Really Dad? You’re having a laugh.

Time passed, but the dream stayed with me. I kept thinking about what the floppy-eared bunny could possibly represent. I looked for ways to introduce more love and laughter into my life, but everything felt hollow, forced and contrived.   

A few weeks later, my husband and I traveled up to his mother’s house to clear it out. She had recently moved into an assisted living home, so we needed to clean and fix up her house to prepare it for sale. As I washed the breakfast dishes in the sink, I heard an odd noise coming from outside the window. I stopped and listened. It was a high-pitched whimpering sound.

I stepped out onto the back porch and the whining grew louder. It was coming from the other side of the fence in the neighbor’s backyard. Not one to let a mystery pass me by, I poked my head over the top of the fence and looked around.

Crawling around in the grass was a pile of wiggling little brown and white bodies, barely able to walk.

My squeals of delight drew the attention of the neighbor, James.

‘’Ello,” he called to me from his back step. “You must be Collin’s gal.”

“Hi. And you must be James,” I called back.

“Yes. Would you like to come over and see the new pups?”

I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough as I raced around the fence and through his gate. Within minutes, there were several of them rolling around at my feet with the mother sitting nearby keeping a very close eye on her babies and me.

Then, from the dark depths of her kennel, I heard another soft whimper. Slowly, crawling out of the kennel, came one last puppy. It scooched its way to my feet and looked up with its crystal blue puppy eyes. I bent down and picked her up. Cradling her in my arms, I saw the little floppy-eared bunny from my dreams.

“What have you found there,” Collin called from the other side of the fence.

I looked up with tears in my eyes. “It wasn’t a bunny, Collin. Look.”

I carried the little puppy over to him so he could see the dark brown velvet floppy ears and the little white heart shape on her head from the flashing that ran up the top of her nose. It looked exactly like the floppy-eared ‘bunny’ that my father had given me.

Collin looked at James who shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he mouthed, “Sorry, mate.”

I went back to pick her up a few weeks later when she was old enough to come home. James informed me that there were only two girls and I got the first pick. He told me she was already registered and all I had to do was to pick her official kennel name.

“You can choose from ‘Dancing Diva’ or ‘Love and Laughter,” he told me.

I smiled and snuggled my new little companion. I didn’t even cry as I whispered, “Love and laughter, of course.”