Slap Happy

When I was young and I misbehaved ... I know, hard to believe I ever misbehaved ... but when I did misbehave, Mom had certain things she would say to me. Things like, "You'd better straighten up and fly right," or "If you don't behave, I'm gonna jerk a knot in your tail," or one of my all-time favorites ... "Stop it right now, or I'm going to slap you silly." Don't even get me started on what in the heck "jerk a knot in your tail" means ... seriously, what in the world does that mean anyway? I'm not even stopping to Google that phrase because if I do, I'll go down a long and winding bunny trail ... think Sheldon Cooper, friends. Instead, let's talk about "going to slap you silly" ... what does that mean? I'm going to slap you until you howl with laughter? I'm going to slap you until you look extremely goofy? Nope, it doesn't mean either of those ... it means to slap someone repeatedly or continuously. I do remember getting paddled a few times by Mom, but I must say that I don't think she ever "slapped me silly," despite her repeated threatening to do so and despite the fact that I'm more than sure I deserved to be.

A few months ago, I was emailing back and forth with a friend, and I said something about not deserving the love and compassion I had received from my family and friends, and that I certainly didn't deserve her friendship. My friend was getting over having the flu and still wasn't feeling super great. Well, her body wasn't feeling too well, but her mind was feeling just fine as she typed the following words. "If you tell me you don't deserve something again, I will come over and flu-slap you." I remember laughing out loud at my friend's words ... and I remember how much I needed to laugh that day. Now, before you lose sleep tonight wondering if my friend ever came over and flu-slapped me that day, I can assure you that she did not (though that's what I deserved). I will tell you, however, that the threat of being flu-slapped has been presented to me more than once since that day ... times when I am super sad, times when I say the words, "I so don't deserve ...", times when I really should be slapped ... flu-slapped in a big way.

I was thinking about my friend's funny words from our previous messaging exchange this evening as I drove home from work, and as I did, I couldn't help but think about some other words I read in an email today. Words that weren't so funny. Words that hurt my heart. Words that wounded my spirit. Words that made me want to crawl way, way, way into my cave and never leave. And as the pain threatened to wrap its arms of hurt tightly around me, the words flu-slapped pierced my mind ... "If you tell me you don't deserve something again, I will come over and flu-slap you." And guess what happened, friends? Before I knew it, I was smiling ... and then I laughed out loud in my car. And then I prayed out loud in my car. And I thanked God for love and for the people who love me still. I thanked Him for my children and my family and my friends. And I thanked Him for flu-slaps, too ... I surely did.

A gal in my office has a little sign on her desk ... a little sign that makes me smile each time I see it. I think I understand the truth behind the statement on the sign, the deep and awesome truth about sharing my heart with someone who needs me, about sharing my heart in ways that make others smile. It seems fitting to end this post with the words from the small sign ... "If you're happy and you know it, slap your friends." Or flu-slap them. Go ahead. Laugh. It's funny. And it's good for you. Laughing, that is. I wouldn't recommend that you go around flu-slapping people. Well, OK, maybe a few people who really, really deserve it.