The Jokester

Everyone believes different thing about death, the spirit, life after, etc.
I believe that our loved ones are still with us, much as God is daily, and if you're carefully listening or watching you will get affirmation of that throughout your days on earth.

I believe life is carefully orchaestrated by a higher power, and I don't believe in "coincidences."
Do I have proof? Nope.
But I do have experiences that I know in my heart are my affirmation.
I think one must have a healthy dose both of reality and spirtuality to be able to live these experiences. You can't be a total crackpot, but you also can't believe there is an analytical or scientific explanation to everything either.

With that said, the following story sounds crazy. I readily admit that.

So, for Christmas my son got a "Leap Frog" musical barn with animal pieces. You match the front and back ends of an animal, place them inside this barn and it will make the sound of that animal and say what it is. There is a duck, a horse, a cow, and a pig.

I was having a bit of a down day, missing my dad, about two weeks ago. I had put ham in the crockpot for supper that night. As I was making the very first slice into the ham the toy made the oinking noise of a pig.

No one was playing with it and neither of the pig pieces were placed inside the toy. In fact, the back end of the pig is still MIA. I casually thought to myself, "Well, bacon is dad's favorite food...and he TOTALLY would think that was hilarious. But we probably just need batteries."

I mentioned it to my husband. It had never done that before for either of us. He agreed it was weird and we let it go.

A week and a half later my mom was here. The day she was leaving I was reminded of it, so as we were standing in the kitchen I told her the story.

"Hmm. I'd say it needs batteries," she said.

"Yeah. I'm sure people would think I'm crazy and not believe me. But I just thought it was weird that of all the animals it picked the pig as I was cutting into the ham," I replied.

And then, the pig noise again. It had not happened since the first time...and almost on cue, there it was again - - with no pieces inside the toy.

"Okay, well, I believe you," mom said...and we both laughed. We agreed that if there was any way Dad could be involved he' d be thinking he was stupendously funny.

And we let it go. After all, it probably does need batteries.

So tonight, just a couple days shy of another week has gone by.
I am reminded of the second weird occurence when I see it on the fridge, so I tell my husband about it.

"Hmm, that is weird," he said.

"Yeah. I mean, it probably is the batteries or whatever. But I still just think that it's weird that of all the animals, it keeps using the pig sound."

And again, as if on cue, the empty toy makes a noise all by itself. But this time it "Baaaaahs" at us.
It's the lamb.

Yeah, I might replace the batteries, but the toy itself works just fine otherwise. I just can't help thinking that my Dad just finished having a really good laugh about this.