Whatever Wednesday Writings - Family Prank

Pranks are a must to a healthy family. After all laughter is good medicine…especially when that laughter comes at the cost of paying someone back who is usually the one that dishes out the pranks and if you know our family, you know WHO that someone is.

As most of you know we had to put down our 14 year old Chihuahua, Señor Harjo this past month and every day since then the kids have been beggin’, it was a bit depressing because he has not been gone that long. Then it came to pass…I joined in on the beggin’…after all the pitter patter of his paws on the hardwood floors, his fancy dancing in circles when I come home…are no more. It’s quiet here….besides the continual pleading.

The repetitive pleading was beginning to wear on Darryl, so Darryl proclaimed that the ONLY way we were getting another dog was if M.O.M. retired so she can take care of it…thus prank on dad was initiated.

It’s always good to have friends in high places that can make things happen quickly, thus this very official letter of my voluntary retirement of 21 years was born…effective June 1, 2014.

We all sat down at the dinner table and I started the conversation with, “So does anyone else miss Señor?” The kids were like, “Yes!” I said, “Me too.” Darryl said, “Surprisingly yes, I do. I dropped some food on the floor and I was like Señor will clean it up and I catch myself looking out in the back for him.”

I said, “I thought about what you said if we wanted a dog then I would need to retire so I could be home during the day to take care of it, so this is what I did (I handed him the letter).

Darryl begin to read the letter, his chewing slowed down, he begin to get that look in his eyes, the look that moms usually give their kids, then he retorted, “Well I guess our goal of paying off our home in 5 years isn’t going to happen. We are going to have to go back to a 15 year note. We may even have to sell our house.”

To which I said, “Well that is a good thing, we have wanted to downsize. Now we can move to Westmoore and Darya can finish out school there, it really is a win-win situation for all of us.” Darya, was like “Yes!” All of three of us continued with all the benefits of downsizing, living a minimal lifestyle, having a pet and living happily ever after. At this point I thought of this scrapbook page I did of us.

We carried it past dinner and you could see the disappointment growing. I asked Darryl, “Do you still love me?”

No answer, just that look.

So I asked again, “Do you still love me?”

To which he somberly said, “It’s just that I thought something of such great importance you would have talked to me about it.”

I said, “I thought it had already been discussed when you declared the only way we were getting a dog is if I retired to take care of it, so that is what I did. I didn’t realize we needed any further discussions.”

It was time to inform him that he had been pranked by his daughter, son and myself and that the letter was fake. Darya video recorded his response and here it is.

Yes, he still loves me and yes we are getting a new dog!! Now we are working on getting two dogs, you know so they can keep each other company; after all it is scriptural (sort of)…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV)

The Value of a Friend

Two are better than one,

Because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

For he has no one to help him up.

Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;

But how can one be warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.