For as long as I can remember, you’ve been my best friend.
You’re the only one that I always like.
When I’m angry or sad, you appear from nowhere, plonking yourself next to me with a sigh. You talk to me, telling me where your secret hiding places are, and where you buried your bone last week. You tell me all about the awesome stinky frog you found on your walk with Dad, and you tell me all about the great new friend you’ve made-“Archie”, but how he’s sometimes a bit annoying because he keeps steeling your ball.
You make me feel better. You understand me, and what it is I need.
We’re buddies, you and me.
You let me wet your head with my tears, and you help me hide the crumbs when I pinch another biscuit, but don’t tell mum, because she doesn’t know-It’s our secret.
You know all my secrets, and you never tell.
You don’t mind if I leave my yoghurt container on the floor every single morning. I get in trouble by the way, but it’s ok I’ll do it for you because I know how much you like to lick it clean. I know, because I can read your mind.
I know that you are sad when you are left by yourself in an empty house. I know you love to sleep in mum and dad’s bed when you are cold, I know that you secretly hate dog food and would prefer lasagne every night, but you’re grateful you get something, so you don’t complain-but I can tell.
I know that at the end of the day, when all the humans in the world bug me, you are the only one that knows.
‘Being an adult can be serious business, but so many people have lost the sheer capacity for fun, joy and laughter- Even when the opportunity is there, we miss it.’
We have always told our kids to hang up the phone when someone odd calls.
We have been receiving many calls lately from non-english speaking folk on the other side of the world, informing us our computer is not working-a scam to steal all our money.
Our 11 year old son was in charge of the house for 5 minutes-I had quickly ducked out.
This is what happened when I was away.
‘Ring ring..Ring ring’
“Hello it’s X speaking”
“Hello X, I was wondering if your mum or Dad were home? If so, may I please speak with them?”-A lady with a strong accent queried.
X- “Nope!” -Clunk-He promptly hung up the phone.
‘That’ll sort HER out he thought, pleased with himself.
5 seconds later-
‘Ring ring, ring ring’
“Hello X, please don’t hang up this time. It’s Mrs K- the Principal of your School.”
X-Silence…panic…shock!
“Oooohhhhh- I’m sorry Mrs K, I didn’t recognise your voice, I’m soooo sorry, I’m home by myself and I thought you were a rip-off from Africa”
This story was re-told absolutely beautifully by my 11 year old, who has always been – ‘one of those people’ that has the rare ability to lighten my life.
His quick wit and his relentless natural humour, is a gift to me.
…
DO YOU HAVE HUMOUR IMPAIRMENT?
Below is an article that’s well worth the read if you think you are suffering from a condition by the name of ‘Humour Impairment’-I’m certain I have suffered from this in the past, and I am equally certain my husband suffers from it now!!
This article has been living on my study wall for a period of 6 years, sticky-taped and blue-tacked, yet if you had’ve asked me what was up there, I probably would’ve responded with “nothing.”
It’s funny how something I see every day, can be wiped from my memory recall.
It’s entitled:
HUMOUR MAKES LIFE EASIER
-ANON
Humour can be a powerful and effective mechanism for coping with stress, especially when combined with other means of stress reduction. The real power of humour and laughter shows up when you learn to use it in stressful situations. It keeps things in perspective, helps dispel negative emotions, and puts you in a frame of mind that can help better cope with the situation. Combining stress management techniques with a more light-hearted outlook on life won’t make you stress-proof, but it can make the difficult things easier to endure.
If you’re willing to laugh at the little disasters in life, you’ll find that other areas of your life will also become easier. Laughter, especially when you laugh at yourself, does many important things:
It empowers you. When you laugh at your setbacks, you no longer feel sorry for yourself. you feel uplifted and encouraged.
It helps you communicate more effectively.
It makes you likeable
It helps you cope. “Nothing erases unpleasant thoughts more effectively than concentration on pleasant ones”-Hans Selye
It provides perspective by removing you from your problems. Everyone makes mistakes, and we need to remember that-” I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent”-Ashleigh Brilliant
People tend to be less threatened by you.
Using Humour effectively
You may agree that laughing will help with your stress but agreeing with this doesn’t always help when the kids fight, miss the bus, and leave you late for work.
Everyone has his or her own sense of humour. If you’re not attuned to yours, you’ll end up missing many opportunities to use humour skills to deal with life’s stressors. Being an adult can be serious business, but so many people have lost the sheer capacity for fun, joy and laughter. Even when the opportunity is there, we miss it. Many adults have this problem called ‘Humour impairment.’
–Simply defined, it means the inability to find humour even in situations that are funny to most people. Stress can cause humour impairment. Fortunately you can make the choice to change.
Finding the laughter in life
You don’t have to laugh out loud to find something funny, but you do need to recognise the types of humour you will be able to use most effectively to manage stress. Do you life slapstick humour or verbal humour? Do you understand what kinds of humour offend you? Do you like jokes that focus on things you have in common with the comedian? Do you like to see props and gimmicks? Do you find humour in things that weren’t necessarily meant to be funny? Answering these questions will help you identify what humour to seek to help reduce stress and have more fun in life. You also need to ask yourself how long you hold on to misery before letting loose with humour.
I wrote an article recently on the benefits of using Humour over Anger in times of confrontation.
It’s difficult to do, but if you can master it over time, the benefits are enormous.
The younger generation of today are not afraid to express their opinion.
Is this a good thing?
Well that very much depends on the recipients view, now doesn’t it?
I personally love it when a child puts in their best effort to talk to an adult other than their parents, and express themselves confidently.
However, there can be times when their free expression is frighteningly honest, and you wish they’d have kept their right little trap shut.
EXAMPLE # 1
I had bought some lovely new bed sheets from Myer at the Boxing Day sales-60 percent off and a bargain, I’m telling you.
I made our bed for the night with these lovely fresh, new sheets, tucked them in, creases all ironed out, hospital corners given delicate attention, when my son waltzes on in and announces the following:
“Ooooooooh, lovely sheets mum, are they dog flavoured?”
We were all preparing for a night out at the Basketball, brushing hair (Boys in front of mirror for many minutes, doing what I don’t know), sorting ourselves and my husband walks into the lounge room as proud as punch with a smile from ear to ear.
CHILD # 1-“Are you serious Dad?”
“What?”
CHILD # 2-” Are you serious Dad?”
“Deadly. What’s the problem?”
I sat speechless, unable to find words
“You can’t wear them”-CHILD # 1
“Why not? They’re my new shoes. I found them today, an absolute bargain six bucks, and they’re comfortable”
“But Dad, they’re sandals”-CHILD #1
“What’s wrong with sandals?”
“Only grandpa’s wear them”
“Look at the bright side Flynn, at least he’s got shoes on”-CHILD # 2
Child # 1 sits down slowly dangerously close to fainting from the shock, pallor appearing on his otherwise tanned skin.
“What is WRONG with you kids, mum likes them…don’t you babe?”
I instantly felt my blood pressure drop.
“Oh…
I do…
indeed…
I do…
Yes….I do…They’re great, I mean what’s not to like-right? I mean they have plenty of ventilation, right? That’s important…and they’re…they’re…they have plenty of space if your feet need to grow…”
“Dad…mum hates them” -Child # 2
Needless to say, they have come in very handy as ‘home shoes’ never to be seen in public for when I hang out the washing and the concrete burns the soles of my feet.
EXAMPLE # 3
“Did you smell the dog last night? He had the doofs. It was like sleeping in a gas chamber.”-M
“Oh…..” I thought long and hard trying to remember
“Oh yeah, I smelt it…the dog had a foul naught”
I looked at Jasper and he appeared as guilty as sin
“No, that would’ve been mum dad, she farts all the time” -CHILD # 1
-and just for the record-it wasn’t me
EXAMPLE # 4
Michael grabbed the opportunity to have a number 1 haircut while I was at work. He always does that. He waits until I go to work and he does all of these weird things. Any excuse to have no hair at all.
It’s not I’m THAT opposed to it, it’s just he has such lovely dark wavy hair.
It was VERY short. I’m not joking, only one rung above a shiny dome.
He loved his new do.
Reinforcement also came quickly in the form of his mummy who saw it on Skype.
“Ohhhhh very handsome” -all chances of convincing him to keep his hair long were now zero.
Feeling totally expression free, child # 1 walks in and informs me
“I tried to tell the lady mum, but Dad just said ‘nope, cut it all off’ -he turned to his Dad, rubbed his head and said-
“But anyway, it’s actually quite good because now you look a lot less bald”
As the sun sets on another day, we thank heavens for the reprieve in the heat.
We, the families are all still here.
We wait, and we wait and we watch and we wait.
A quick glance at the grandstand reveals mums and dads, nannies and poppies, little brothers and sisters, quietly amusing themselves until yet another starting gun fires and they are required to look up.
They are all tired.
They are all covered in multiple layers of sunscreen, sweat,
makeup, mozzie repellent and eye strain.
But it’s living though, isn’t it? It’s getting out, and chatting and enjoying and living.
The sun, falling quickly behind the hills, is stunning. The birds have appeared and are singing to their hearts content. Children are playing cricket on the grass, with sticks as bats and a tennis ball from the back of someone’s car.
Their laughter is music to me.
….and so we wait;
-for my little boy, who is now making funny noises with his voice as it drops into teenage hood, soon to be manhood.
No longer a baby. No longer a little boy, he is about to line up for the 200m Breast stroke final, at the end of a hot long day.
It could be the final of a grasshopper race for all I care, for really, it’s all about being part of it. Isn’t it? Things will be different tomorrow, and next week and next year, but this is what is happening today,
and I’m soaking it up. X
No matter what happens, Flynny, it’s been a pleasure to spend the day with you.
Photo by Cairo2CapePhoto by Cairo2CapePhoto by Cairo2CapePhoto by Cairo2CapePhoto by Cairo2CapePhoto by Cairo2CapeDust Storm in Egypt. Photo by Cairo2CapeHotel overlooking The Pyramids Photo by Cairo2 Cape
My brother-in-law David Martin together with 4 other cyclists, is currently attempting a world record to cycle from Cairo to Capetown, to raise awareness for cycling in Africa.
They have cycled through gruelling terrain, extreme conditions, and overcome illness to enter their second week.
On only 3-4 hours sleep a night, they are exhausted, but continue to power on toward their goal.
These five men are enduring some of the biggest challenges of their lives.
They will require unfathomable mental strength and resilience to complete this Journey.
Everyday, my husband, David’s brother and I closely follow their fascinating stories and progress, crossing fingers they stay safe and achieve their dream.
You can follow their progress here on my site, or click on the following links:
All Of Me 