You’re a caricaturist,” my new friend, Sam, said after reading my just re-launched book, Gifts of Grace Book 1. “I am?” I blanched, unsure whether it was a compliment or a criticism. It was a word not once used to describe me.
“Ha-ha-ha-hah!” he laughed as though someone was tickling him.
“Ha-ha-ha-hah!” I echoed, snared by his contagious laughter. I am an easy prey—when someone laughs, I laugh; when someone cries I cry.
“Your son, JC, ha-ha-ha! The way you described him as a logo, ha-ha-ha! What a riot!”
“Oh, that,” I said, remembering my thoughts when I wrote it. “Ha-ha-hah!”
“And your husband, Tony, ha-ha-hah! You know, when I met you at our faculty meeting last month, I thought you were prim and proper. I didn’t know you are so funny, ha-ha-hah!”
(Sam is a new member of the faculty of the university where I teach part-time.)
“Ha-ha-hah!” he roared as he recalled one scene after another. Not much later we both had tears in our eyes. He was wiping his with a white handkerchief. I was wiping mine with my sleeves.
“You are amazing, Grace! You have a way with words. Ha-ha-hah! How do you do it?”
“Ha-ha-hah!” Now we were both in a laughing fit that couldn’t be stopped, not even by the Security Guard who shushed us by the door of the faculty room where we were waiting for our class hours. The exhilaration I felt as I wrote Gifts of Grace Book 1, eight years ago, swirled over me like tsunami.
“You take one facet of a person, and make it larger than life! Ha-ha-hah!” Sam sputtered between gales of laughter.
Caricaturist. It suddenly seemed like a rave review, and a word of privilege and honor.
And laughter is grace that comes even when the newspaper headlines read: World markets plunge.
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent." (Psalm 30: 11-12 ESV)
4 comments:
I read Gifts of Grace 1, and I loved it so much. I laughed and cried with what you had there. Once I'm back there in the Phils. this December, I'll definitely grab a copy of the 2nd one.
I have this small group gathering with other Filipinos here in Tianjin, China and last night we talked about God's grace...it was a meeting filled with laughter and tears. In truth, God's grace is like that, when you get something that you know in your heart that you cannot ever earn - it'll make you laugh, and cry.
Cheers for your inspiring book, Ms. Grace!
Dear Cathy,
It's great to know you have a group of fellow believers in China--and that you can meet freely. When I started this blogsite on grace, I have been blessed with so many kindred spirits like you from all over the world. That's how grace works--surprises, surprises, and many more surprises. Amazing indeed!
Thank you, Miss Grace...you truly live your name. Looking forward to reading more of your writings. God bless you!
See you soon?
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