A Goofy Daughter

Our youngest daughter described herself to a new acquaintance as goofy. Her friend and I chuckled over that confession, and I shared the story of how our daughter gained Goofy as her nickname when she was eight years old.

My husband and I discovered a remarkable camp in Colorado that gave families with adopted Cambodian children the chance to learn about their cultural background through various activities. We thought the camp would be a great opportunity for her and for us.

The three of us boarded a plane in Nashville, Tennessee, and flew to Denver, Colorado. There, we rented a car and drove to Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby for a few days of camp.

The camp provided a fun environment for adopted children to not only learn about their cultural roots, but to make new friends. She delighted in every moment of the trip, while we captured digital memories to cherish for years to come.

After camp ended, we made our way back to Denver for our flight home. Still settling down from all the excitement, she asked if she could borrow my camera to take pictures from the backseat window. Seemed reasonable. With majestic mountains, peaceful streams, and winding roads, the area was a photographer’s dream.

But she wasn’t captivated by any of those breathtaking sights. She was on a mission to document every outdoor bathroom she encountered, snapping pictures of rest stops and portable toilets. Her new hobby earned her the playful nickname Goofy.

As I shared the story with her friend about how she earned her nickname, the sound of our daughter’s belly laugh got her friend and me laughing too. Once our daughter composed herself, she asked, “But why did I want to take pictures of bathrooms?”

Well honey, I guess it’s because you really are goofy.

Even at twenty-four, her nickname still suits her. She’s quite an amusing character, or as we say in the south, a real hoot.

A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul.
Proverbs 17:22a, TPT 

Do you or someone close to you have a childhood nickname that still fits?

Have a Good Laugh

Last year I came across an article on the health benefits of laughter. Advantages cited included lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormone levels, improves cardiac health, and my personal favorite—works your abs. Yes! Let’s get laughing!

I worked with civil engineers. Not that engineers aren’t fun or funny, but they are a serious bunch for the most part. There were times this introverted gal felt stretched to the max trying to be the outgoing one in the group.

One Monday morning, at a departmental staff meeting, the question was asked, “How was your weekend?” Everyone around the table gave a response. “Okay.” “Didn’t do much.” “Fine.” All very monotone and boring. I spoke last. I nearly jumped out of my chair, raised my arms into the air, and said, “Fantastic! I had a great weekend.” A couple of the engineers at the table nearly fell out of their chairs because of my exuberance. Rare for me to get that excited, but their dullness made me want to go back home and sleep. We needed a spark.

There’s one gentleman I worked with who was not an engineer. He was an extrovert. He kept us on our toes and worked our abs. A year ago, Stan (not his real name) posted on the company’s Intranet Out of Office board that he and his supervisor were traveling on a karaoke tour. This board is available to the entire company—almost 200 employees. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass without finding out more. I sent Stan an email and asked if the two men were slacking off on company time. He soon responded with, “Hold on. The boss is on stage singing now. I’ll get back to you later.” Instead of doing my work, I was laughing. My response, “Take a video. I want to see this.”

He didn’t send me a video on that day, but a few days later, his boss forwarded a video to me that Stan sent him. Stan wearing a fish head costume talking about feeling a little fishy. The boss’s response to Stan’s humor, “He’s goofier than my teenaged son.” He may have been goofy, but his humor was beneficial to my health.

The benefits of laughter are nothing new. Proverbs 17:22 states, “A joyful heart is good medicine…” (ESV) and “Being cheerful keeps you healthy…” (GNB).

Sounds like a great New Year’s resolution. Take time to laugh every day!

If you have a funny story you’d like to share, please do so in the comments below.

Have a Good Laugh

In September, I came across an article on the health benefits of laughter. Advantages cited included lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormone levels, improves cardiac health, and my personal favorite—works your abs. Yes! Let’s get laughing!

I work with civil engineers. Not that engineers aren’t fun or funny, but they are a serious group for the most part. There are times this introverted gal feels stretched to the max trying to be the outgoing one of the group.

On a Monday morning, at a departmental staff meeting, the question was asked, “How was your weekend?” Everyone around the table gave a response. “Okay.” “Didn’t do much.” “Fine.” All very monotone and boring. I spoke last. I nearly jumped out of my chair, raised my arms into the air, and said, “Fantastic! I had a great weekend.” A couple of the engineers at the table nearly fell out of their chairs because of my exuberance. Rare for me to get that excited, but their dullness made me want to go back home and sleep. We needed a spark.

There’s one gentleman I work with who is not an engineer. He’s an extrovert. He keeps us on our toes and works our abs. A couple of months ago Stan (not his real name) posted on our Intranet Out of Office board that he and his supervisor were traveling on a karaoke tour. This board is available to the entire company—almost 200 employees. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass without finding out more. I sent Stan an email and asked if the two men were slacking off on company time. He soon responded with, “Hold on. The boss is on stage singing now. I’ll get back to you later.” Instead of doing my work, I was laughing. My response, “Take a video. I want to see this.”

He didn’t send me a video on that day, but a few days later, his boss forwarded a video to me that Stan sent him. Stan wearing a fish head costume talking about feeling a little fishy. The boss’s response to Stan’s humor, “He’s goofier than my teenage son.” He may be goofy, but his humor is beneficial to my health.

The benefits of laughter are nothing new. Proverbs 17:22 states, “A joyful heart is good medicine…” (ESV) and “Being cheerful keeps you healthy…” (GNB).

Take some time to laugh every day. You’ll feel better.