Strip, Tease

I love to be around people who make me laugh, people who are happy, people who are positive thinkers, people who look for the best in others. I've been very blessed with my wonderful family and circle of friends who are there for me when I have a “not so great moment.”

When I had a friend who was celebrating a birthday, the wheels in my head started turning! What can I do to make his birthday “something to remember?”

This friend was an organist in a fairly large church and the organ that he played every Sunday was right up front in this church -- and very visible!

“Hmmm...,” I thought to myself, “how can I use this?”

My family had just moved into a larger house and there was a room in the new house that we had never been in because the handle had been removed from the door. We were told that renovations were going on in this room so we didn't think much more about it.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

After we moved into the house, my husband collected his tools so he could open the door. Once we were in the room we discovered that the teenager living in that room had trashed it. Without going into great detail, we discovered that this stranger that this teenager had collected a large stack of Playboy magazines! I know... I know... He only read the articles. That's when the idea for a memorable birthday came to me.

I collected my art supplies, took one of the Playboy magazines and went to work.

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I left the choir room where the choir was rehearsing for the 11 AM service, scooted over to the sanctuary and placed the birthday card that I had meticulously created out of the Playboy centerfold right on top of his music so he could not possibly miss it.

The choir filed in, myself included, and the director seated us. The choir director sat down on the organ bench, spotted the card and smiled.

He opened it!

He slammed it shut!

He sat for a moment to think through what had just happened.

He slowly turned on the piano bench until he spotted me.

“How did he know?” I was thinking.

Our eyes met.

His eyes widened.

I grinned.

He knew.

It was all I could do to compose myself... for you see his wife was my best friend and she was sitting right next to me and observed all that had transpired! She was laughing uncontrollably (to herself) till her chair was shaking.

He carefully removed his “most memorable birthday card EVER,” placed it on the bench beside him, opened the music for the anthem, stood the choir, and continued on with the service.

Yes, I'm still alive.

Yes, I still sing in the choir.

Yes, we are still friends -- although now I think he checks his music very carefully before our Sunday services.

What are friends for if we can’t bring a little joy to someone else's life. I have noticed that he doesn't remind me anymore of his upcoming birthdays!

Wonder why?

~ Jeannie Joyner