My granddaughter looked into my eyes from my lap.
“Grandma, you are really old. Were there dinosaurs when you were little?”
“Yep, a Tyrannosaurus Rex chased me to school!” Then I said, “Ha Ha!”
Now five-year-olds are literal. I should not have joked with her.
A little while later while she was outside playing with the neighborhood kids, there was a knock on the door. I opened it and there stood one of the little neighborhood boys. He was looking at me seriously.
“Are you Saylor’s grandma?”
“Yes?
“Did a Tyrannosaurus Rex take a bite of you while you were running to school?”
I can see I am about to become an infamous grandma. Several kids are making a clear effort not to look my way. My granddaughter is sure I will tell him that my “joke” is real. What do I do? The only thing any writer does when put on the spot. I write (tell) my way out of a tight situation!
“Um, have you ever dreamed about dinosaurs?”
He leans in instantly, all attention on me.
“Yeah, I had a bad dream about one!”
“Really, what happened in your dream?”
The next several minutes he explains in detail all about his dream and I am rapt in attention. Suddenly he stops and looks at me, a knowing look on his wise six-year-old face.
“Did you dream a Tyrannosaurus Rex took a bite of you?”
“I do have bad dreams sometimes. But actually I was only joking with Saylor.”
“Oh, that’s okay. My mom says I will out-grow bad dreams. You can too.”
Good thing, at over sixty I needed that assurance. With that he takes off on his bike, and all is well. Kids receive his explanation and are off to the next adventure.
I determine to clarify to my granddaughter when she comes in I was only joking and be careful in the future about “old people jokes.”
I confess as a writer there are some days what I have written looks like I wrote it during a bad dream. I edit it and edit it, then I cut it and rewrite and it still seems like a six-year-old thought it up. I stare at it, willing my writing to be crisp, funny and invigorating. But it stays limp, boring and listless.
“God, help!”
After that prayer invariably I find my way, something emerges from my typing fingers and in that moment, I am satisfied at what I have created. I pray what I write makes someone smile, or that it brings joy to their day. That is always my goal.
Does God have a sense of humor? We have a sense of humor and were created in His image, so yes He does. I have a wild imagination, and I wonder if in heaven there will be stand-up comedy? That it will be filled with the sounds of many people laughing and laughing? I know we will be worshipping the Lord, and maybe laughter is included. Scripture does say a merry heart does good like medicine. I like to think of laughter as good medicine and God knows we need it. Take a moment today to read a good joke, share it, and laugh hard my friends, its does good in your soul.
Well you have done it again. Very good dear Sherry.
I know for a fact that you have tamed many a dinosaur in your life! We LAUGH at danger! HAHAHAHAHA!
I think we have tamed dinosaur’s together in life a bunch of times!
Lol I loved it! Very cute and fun! You do have a wonderful gift.
Oh, Sherry! Beware of old people jokes, indeed! I still laugh at the silly things my dad said. Hehe. I believe you just made a memory for your granddaughter and the neighborhood kids.