OH wow I think I'd have laughed right there.  Which of course would have
made your father even more mad, thanks all for sharing this.

Lelia

laughing


----- Original Message -----
From: "Peggy Kern" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 11:17 PM
Subject: Re: Family holiday conflicts


> I'm reminded of an amusing family conflict that I don't think occurred on
a
> holiday, but it was too funny not to share.  We were up in Portland
> visiting Dan's family.  Dan's dad is a very by-the-book Catholic, who
> believes (or seems to believe) that the Catholic Church can do no
> wrong.  Dan's mom, and we, are Catholics but not so conservative.  Anyway,
> we were sitting at the table after dinner, talking about something in the
> gospel;  I can't even remember what.  I was feeling so grateful to have
> married into a family who loved to discuss spiritual things.  Then Dan's
> dad picked up the book THE IMITATION OF CHRIST, and began to read it.  Now
> it's a wonderful book, but he was stumbling over the words and reading
like
> a first-grader, and it sounded like he didn't really even understand what
> he was reading.  Dan's mom stood up.  You have to understand that Dan's
> parents don't have a loving, nurturing relationship.  When Dan's mom stood
> up from the table, Dan's dad called her Satan.  I told you they don't have
> a loving relationship!  Anyway, she responded, "Satan's got to go to the
> bathroom."  Our daughter Jen, who I think was about five, asked, as a
joke,
> "Does Satan go to the bathroom?"  Dan and I didn't respond, and Dan's dad
> immediately said, "Now the child asked a question, and deserves an
> answer.  Honey, Satan doesn't have a body, and it's the body that goes to
> the bathroom, so no, Satan doesn't go to the bathroom."  To this day I
> still can't help smiling about how a wonderful, spiritual discussion
> degenerated into whether or not Satan goes to the
> bathroom.  <lol>  Families!  Ya gotta love 'em.
>
> Peggy
>