WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY FATHER

There are two different kinds of laughter.
One hurts, the other heals.
One separates,
the other brings together.
You laugh at someone else,
that’s sin.
You laugh at yourself,
that’s salvation.

"Tell the peaches and ice cream
story," Mother would say.
We’d all groan but secretly
loved to hear him tell it,
about the time when he was
a boy and had a friend whose
aunt owned an ice cream store.
They sneaked into the freezer
and ate ice cream.
They ate and they ate
and when they were full
tried to keep it going by
pouring canned peaches
over what was left
until finally they gave up
and threw the whole mess
into the chicken yard.
"And that’s one time," he’d conclude,
"I got enough ice cream."

My mother would laugh
herself to tears.
Ours joined hers and his.
Salvation.