I was gifted a Patty Play Pal doll when I was four years old. For those who aren't familiar with that brand of doll, they were basically life size dolls. My particular doll looked very much like me, especially the hair. One night, I dressed the doll in my pajamas, tucked her into my bed, and then hid in my bedroom closet waiting for my dad to come in to kiss me goodnight. My mother always came in later and she was not as unflappable as my dad so I didn't target her for this prank. I wasn't disappointed with this "joke". My father thought the doll was me and that I was dead. Watching an unflappable, ex marine DI and WWII Pacific Island "clean up crew member" (euphemism for being dropped solo on remote islands occupied by a few Japanese soldiers who were shooting down our planes and giving away troop movements with the goal of unaliving them by any means necessary) , lose his composure was quite amusing. Before you judge that prank as cruel, I should share that I was raised in a home filled with love, laughter, creativity, and humor. Practical jokes were a source of delight and were so treasured that they often become part of graveside eulogies. When I look back on my early life, I remember so much laughter and so much positivity even when times were difficult. Laughter will always be my light in the darkness.
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