[written 7/10/16]

there’s something about laughter
that brings the enemy down

I picture laughter
sounding like
nails on a chalkboard
to the enemy

when we got to Texas
depression was heavy
lingering above us
dripping in our minds

one by one
we were silent
consumed with the sound
of the drip

one by one
we pulled out of it
and turned off
the spout

except Nathan

he’s been so sad
through it all

until last night

waiting at Denny’s for food
but being fed by Heaven
all it took
was one incident

and we were rolling!
F
O
R
E
V
E
R

abs sore
tears falling
laughter rising

Nathan came home
a different person
and Snapchat viewers
got a few laughs

---

I’d like to explain this poem a little.

Since we’ve been here, my thirteen year old, Nathan, has been falling into depression. I noticed it the other day, when I took him to a youth group event and suggested he join in with the other kids; he refused to and began to cry. Right then, I knew something was very wrong.

This move’s been SO hard on him: leaving the weather in San Diego; leaving his daddy; leaving his friends; leaving his football team; leaving his brother…you get the idea, AND to top it all off, he’s THIRTEEN, which is the TOUGHEST age for a kid.

Anyway, his tears spoke so loudly, and as I began to think about it, he hadn’t been laughing much at all the past month. Well, the night before I wrote this poem, that’d changed.

We all went for dinner at Denny’s, and while we were there, we had a laugh attack. Right after each other, Nathan and I’d done something silly (by accident), and that started us rolling!! Well, “almost” ALL of us: Nathan, Katie, Carolyn, and I were cracking up, yet Scott just sat there [long story]. Anyway, we laughed SO hard for SO long! I believe Nathan laughed his way out of depression.

Since then, he’s been a little different, and I’ve stepped up to being a better parent. I believe staying here in Texas would be the best decision for him to make, but the temptations of San Diego keep luring his heart, so my plan is to do all I can to make this flat, humid, hot, barren land appealing to his soft, tender heart.

We’ll see how THAT goes!