Laugh Lurking

            For Easter Break this year, I got the chance to go home with my friend Mackie to her hometown in Overland, Kansas. I was sad I would have to spend the holiday away from family, but luckily Mackie’s family was gracious enough to let me and my friend Lauren stay with them for the weekend.

           

            Mackie’s whole family was in town for Easter, so there were plenty of opportunities for me to just sit back and let them have some family time while I observed from afar (and yes, I’ll admit it did feel a little creepy). I swear their family should have their own TV show. They are absolutely hilarious! It was refreshing to spend a weekend with people that knew how to relax and didn’t take themselves too seriously.

            There was one instance in particular that I observed which gave me a lot of insight into her family and their sense of humor. The family was cooking Easter dinner as Lauren and I sat on the couch and I overheard a conversation between Mackie’s siblings. Mackie’s sister Libbie was complaining about her headache, whining that she didn’t feel good and was in a lot of pain. Then, Jake (Mackie’s brother) retorted with the shocking remark, “Hey well remember that one time I had cancer?” Overhearing this, my immediate response was to chuckle. That’s horrible, I know, but it was just the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Libbie then hit her brother playfully and they both laughed, even gathering a few giggles from Grandma and Mrs. Louis sitting down near them.

            At first I was surprised they were able to laugh about that subject. I knew Jake had cancer and I assumed it was a taboo topic between the family. That’s what you would expect right? Something that serious and horrible I would think wouldn’t be brought up in such light conversation. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it totally made sense. It was a coping mechanism. Even though Jake is now fully healthy, it is still funny for their family to bring it up from time to time. It has become an inside joke between them, and though others may find it offensive, it is something their family can still laugh at, despite how awful that situation was.

           

            Being able to eavesdrop on this conversation this showed me a lot about Mackie’s family and their sense of humor. They are extremely open, not just with each other but with everyone else as well. Like I mentioned before, they don’t take themselves too serious. There was tons of playful, lighthearted joking and poking fun at one another. It gave me some insight into how close-knit her family is.

            Others may not understand this kind of humor, and I think that makes sense. I probably wouldn’t if I hadn’t observed her family dynamic. And that is the thing about humor; it has many different social and contextual aspects. In this case, the humor of the Louis family bonds them together. Their shared experiences (as awful as they may be) give them something to laugh about.