As the punchline formed in my 5-year-old boy’s head over breakfast, I watched the results play out on his face. First he smirked. Then he snorted. Then he gathered himself… You know your kids and I know mine… and I can tell you that normally when my boy does this, he thought of saying something or doing something that will likely get him in trouble…
But this time it was different. He kept making eye contact with me and then turning away, as if he knew it was cool to tell me whatever was going on in his goofy brain, but he hadn’t composed himself yet.
“What’s up, buddy?” I asked as he ate his oatmeal.
He tried to answer but laughed.
He swallowed his food and then laughed again.
Then he took a deep breath, centered himself, threw his shoulders back and sat straight up, like he was a Junior Executive about to address the Board of Directors of a Fortune 500 Company.
Dad, how come the lunch room is nut free…(slight giggle)…but boys are allowed to eat there!
And then his composure left his body a la Will Ferrell in Old School and he absolutely died laughing.
And so did I.
He’s said a million funny things before and he’s made me laugh probably a billion times, but I think this was his first original, fairly well-crafted and well-delivered joke straight from his own silly mind…
And it was awesome.
I didn’t cry when he was born. Didn’t cry for his first step or first word or even his first hit in tee-ball (as excruciating as that process was), but to watch the joy on his face, knowing that he created laughter out of nothing, well… I didn’t cry, but as my brother likes to say about me, I felt the sensation people feel when they do get a little misty… Weird, I know.
I think it’s because if there’s one thing that I look forward to enjoying with my kids it’s the love of jokes (good, bad, cheesy and everything in between)…and now my boy, at just 5 years old, is on board.
Welcome, buddy.
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