Laughter Will Get you Everywhere


Growing up I was lucky to have a really, freaking hilarious Dad. I never really gave him the credit he deserved so this post is for him.

Let me paint of picture of my Dad for you. He's a physicist. He looks like a cross between Weird Al Yankovic (my father's biggest hero second to Richard Feynman) and Groucho Marx.

My Dad was the kind of father that worked hard all week and came home to his kids every night, open-armed, loving, helping us with our homework. All through his three kids' childhood he coached our little-league teams even though we all sucked at sports, showed up to school events and was never late. He tucked us in to bed every night, and he never scared any of my boyfriends away. Instead he made them laugh. He made all of us laugh. He still does.

My senior year of high school, my Dad with help from his fly-honey-bitch (my Mom) dressed up as gangstas and performed a rap in front of the entire school. It was meant to embarrass me, instead it was one of my proudest moments. I lead the standing ovation myself and laughed until tears came.

"Yo Becca, me and my wife
Want to Rap about you and your life.
Your life, we wanna rap about your life.

You called up some people to party at our pool,
Next thing you know, we had the whole school
Whole School, we had the whole school.

You know how you got such a talent for words?
Cause you come from a Family of nerds
Of nerds, you come from a family of nerds..."
And then it goes on... and on...

For my eighteenth birthday my Dad wrote and performed a three-page rap for me which included the following:

"Since today you are turning eighteen
A birthday you never have seen
I thought I would write you a poem
Although at this type of writing I am kind of slow-em

I will never forget your actual birth-
Your mother was quite a bit large in the girth
You came and brought so much delight to my life
That jumping for joy were me and my wife

Those precious few years, you were learning to talk
Eating and growing like a fertilized stalk
Your love of letters and words and language was clear
Reading books with you was a time that was dear

Entering school you were shy and afraid
Home with parents is where you'd rather have stayed
In fact in our bed you wanted to camp
But alas, I was forced to tell you to scamp.

I still feel quite bad about making you go
Back to your room with your blankie in tow,
I sometimes had to close the door on your room
Or else to our bed little Becca would zoom...


... It goes on and is still front and center on the fridge, torn on the edges, faded from the sun. I still laugh out loud when I read his words back to me. I imagine him dressed up in his backward hat and bling-bling and say, "word."

With all the horror in the world and the helplessness, laughter is something that I always took for granted. I was lucky to grow up in a household where jokes were cracked regularly and we laughed until milk came out our noses at the dinner table. One of the reasons I had such a happy childhood was because we were encouraged with humor. We raised the roof, so to speak.

These days, making Archer laugh is my greatest success. I make a face or do a silly dance or make a noise and if he cracks up I have done my job. I am the champion!!! Just like my Dad was for me.

So I'm taking the torch and I'm running with it because laughter is the reason I married my husband, the reason I adore my Dad and the reason I look upon my child with such wonder. I'm pretty sure humor is the "untold secret" of parenting. At least one of them. A laughing fam is a happy one. Hee, hee. HAHAHAHAHA.

A giggle is worth a zillion words. What a gift. Thanks Dad.

GGC

21 comments:

Anonymous | 8:36 PM

That's why I married him!!! The family who laughs together stays together!!! :)

mo-wo | 10:01 PM

yesterday in the park an older kid kicked his soccer ball into the sandbox with e. and a friend... it took an odd bounce and she thought shecky green had fallen from the sky.

made my day.

I am yet to meet a humourless child. So how do so many folks end up that way?

*Tanyetta* | 11:20 PM

that was priceles..

MrsFortune | 5:11 AM

Love the rapz. Your popz sounds awesome, it's easy to see where your sense of humor comes from!

Anonymous | 5:26 AM

We laugh alot at our house too. I think that is really what gets me through all of the tough things that happen. My DH should have be a comedian.

I am glad you have alot of laughter in your family too. And your dad sounds like a great guy!

Anonymous | 5:34 AM

Clearly, talent hasn't skipped a generation.

Beautiful post...I feel like I know your dad now

Mom101 | 6:09 AM

Oh this is one of the best yet! My dad is more of the punny ilk than the rhyming ilk, but somehow I think he (and I) would like yours a whole lot.

Chicky Chicky Baby | 7:00 AM

This was a beautiful tribute to your dad. You're a lucky, lucky woman!

Chris | 7:35 AM

Your dad sounds really cool! Now I see where you get all your talent from.

Pinterest Failures | 10:12 AM

What a wonderful tribute to your dad. I really miss mine and wish he would have known I had two girls.

BTW--I LOVE the new header! And Peaches has a similar Patagonia snowsuit. She lives in it.

the stefanie formerly known as stefanierj | 10:23 AM

When I first married Daddymatic, I would always introduce him to my friends by saying "He's hilarious-you'll love him!"

To which he would deadpan: "Yep. I'm a total scream."

*sigh* I can only hope my son will get his father's dry-as-a-wasa-cracker wit and not my more goofy version.

GIRL'S GONE CHILD | 11:25 AM

I'm the blonde preteen in the velvet babydoll dress and matching choker with the ATTITUDE. The pic makes me laugh every time I look at it. It's amost an optical illusion with the crookied bookcase in the background. hee.

GIRL'S GONE CHILD | 11:37 AM

*almost
*crooked
sheesh.

Anonymous | 12:01 PM

AWESOME post, GGC. The physical description of your dad was dead on given what I could see in that pic.

Alisyn | 1:55 PM

((SNIFF))

I'm feeling a little verklempt. I *heart* your Dadz. And you know what they say: the family that rapz together...

Anonymous | 5:55 PM

oh man that was beautiful! what a dad.. you can totally tell where your talent and creativity came from - it just goes to show you that riches come from love, laughter and family...great post, babe..

Anonymous | 7:32 PM

Yo Becca-
Thanks for the post.
Words like that
to me mean the most.
Your words brought tears
to my eyes.
Thanks again
for the joyful surprise!
Love-
Dad

jdg | 8:35 PM

GGC, everything is coming together now. it all makes sense.

super cute post.

Stacy | 2:32 PM

well put!! i couldn't agree more about fun and family. it's a perfect pair!!!

kiwidebra | 3:01 PM

Yep, we firmly believe that the family that laughs together, stays together. That's why I married the hubby. That and the health insurance. Making our daughter laugh is our prime objective these days.

Anonymous | 7:01 AM

beautiful... just beautiful... your dad seems absolutely awesome!