As promised, here is how my dad saved my mental health…and that of my loved ones.
Horrible. Bad. Awful. Eyeroll inducing. Groan causing. Can’t help but laugh at…
HUMOR
My awesome dad can make a joke out of anything at any time. He has a hidden sensor built into him that tells when anyone nearby has a happy meter under 90%. When his sensor goes off, he pulls out a joke.
He can’t help it.
I know what you are thinking.“But wait, Autumn. Surely that doesn’t happen at completely inappropriate times like funerals or when someone gets a cancer diagnosis.”
First, don’t call me Shirley (one of my dad’s go-to jokes). Second, oh it most certainly does happen.
And that magical ability to bring laughs to the most difficult of things is EXACTLY what I am celebrating.
Just like his color-changing eyes, full bottom lip, and constant worry that someone doesn’t like the gift he got them, he passed on that magical ability to ME!
With our powers combined, we are guaranteed to disappoint my mom and sister by never being able to have a meal without a butt-related joke.
Thanks to that magical ability, I have been able to help loved ones, colleagues, clients, and complete strangers by bringing laughs and play to ANY situation.
It is why I am THE Fart Joke Queen of LinkedIn.
Most importantly, thanks to this gift from my dad, I have been able to help myself. Minutes after my breast cancer diagnosis the jokes were FLYING.
The next day, I was plotting how many Googly Eyes should I put on my breast for the appt with my breast surgeon.
I’ve spent a LOT of time thinking about funny shirts or mugs to make as gifts for the incredible healthcare professionals. My favorite one is “show me your tits”. (I just had to pause to laugh about it again.)
If my humor has ever helped you out, that is all thanks to my dad.
I’ll leave you with a few David classics:
Whenever you announce you are going to the bathroom, he says “I hope everything comes out ok!”
When you say “I’ll be right back.” he says “Thanks for the warning.”
Don’t ever…ever…ever pull his finger if he asks you to. Trust me!