Life can be gross. And gross stuff is funny. Just ask any kid. Especially my 5 and 8-year-old.
Gross words are hilarious to them now. Utter any sentence with the word “poop”, “vomit”, “butt” or “toilet”, and my kids erupt into giggles. I said a new friend’s last name tonight – Butler – and my son fell over laughing. “You said BUTT mommy!” he yelled.
Gross topics are funny as kids get a little older. I think that is mainly the curiosity of the unknown. Hemorrhoids, for example. I remember when I was young and so curious about what the heck hemorrhoids are. I didn’t want to admit I didn’t know. Or worse, ask my mom to explain them to me. So I asked my best friends. I clearly remember this conversation, probably sometime in middle school…
ME – What exactly is a hemorrhoid?
FRIEND 1 – A giant ball in your butt.
FRIEND 2 – No, I think it’s a bunch of dangling strings hanging out of your butt.
FRIEND 3 – NO! It’s red vines that grow all around your butt.
ME – Holy crap. Well, do they hurt?
FRIEND 1 – How could a giant ball in your butt, not hurt?
ME – OMG.
Then we laughed our heads off. And we agreed that whatever they were, we’d never, ever, like ever… get hemorrhoids!
Wishful thinking, if you’ve ever been pregnant. They’re not so funny anymore! I am sure my kids will be laughing about them someday soon though.
The great news is that as kids (hopefully) mature, they gain tons of knowledge about all the gross stuff. Some of it correct, and some like my hemorrhoid conversation, maybe not so accurate! And hopefully when they gain maturity and knowledge, they lose that “fear of the unknown”. The gross stuff isn’t so hilarious anymore… it’s just stuff. And life brings lots of stuff.
Some days I’d love to be a kid again. I’d love to find everything silly. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade the wisdom of my old age, for it. I am glad I don’t laugh hysterically because someone said “poop”!
I will never lose my sense of humor though. And luckily, life gives us many things to laugh about. Most are even funnier than poop, puke, pee-pee and hemorrhoids!
Life really is better when you’re laughing.
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