I dearly love to laugh, cut up, pick with someone who can pick right back.

My entire family is made up with folks cut from this kind of tapestry.

When it comes to humor, sarcasm, talking over top of each other, bouts of down right silliness, and having an all around rip roarin’ good time, we could each and everyone garnish a gold medal. Gratefully we are all also loving, considerate, and kind. But if a laugh can be had…we will go for it. So it is an absolute blessing that each us were born with a duck’s back and married those with like-minded disposition. Thus allowing the continuation of this family tradition while raising up the next generation of gold medalist.

This feat of ours comes in awfully handy. So even when the yuck of life rears it ugly head, uncomfortable situations arise, or sadness befalls us, humor is sought and admirably seems to always be there.

Now in grade school, on the onset of attempting humor outside of my inner circle of misfits, I quickly discovered that humor and sarcasm if not readily coupled with kindness could be offensive and from time to time even hurtful. Making life lesson #81,739 one that I had throughly thought I learned and held a Master’s degree in…

I’m talking…

walked the stage,

in a gown with tassels (cause that’s how good I was in this arena),

family actin’ a fool,

hat tossed up in the air….

kind of learned!!!

Then last week happened!

While attempting to deal with one uncomfortable situation, another uncomfortable situation quickly rose up. In an effort to keep the first situation light I attempted to be funny in spite of the fact that I knew (literally being convinced by this knowledge in the moment… yet still proceeding) it was not kind to the second situation.

Within 60 seconds…

just like holding a short fused stick of lit dynamite…

it ALL exploded in my face.

And only once the soot began to settle could I truly see it for what it was…

unkind…

not very funny …

and hurtful to two friends that I deeply love.

Life lesson 81,739…

ALWAYS (no matter how funny it may seem) lead first and foremost with 

#81,739 was a mighty painful lesson to learn. Yet, thankfully, I learned it with compassion towards myself in spite of all my many many shortcomings, with appreciation that even at this ripe ol’ age I can still be taught, and with joy that the “old enough to know better” stage of life…still lies before me!