“Laughter is still good medicine,” maintained the physician at the end of his interview about his recent experiences with the Corona virus.

Nothing about the current pandemic is funny. Nothing. 

But the doctor’s adage is true.

Research concurs. The whole body relaxes following spontaneous laughter. A big belly laugh not only relieves physical tension and stress, but its relaxing effect on muscles can last almost an hour. Other benefits of hearty laughter include lower blood pressure, a reduction in stress hormones and a boost to the immune system. 

So, guess what I am going to write about today. Not Corona. Not even caregiving.

I have decided to share a couple of funny stories. The grandkids love it when I tell them “Little Ruthie Stories” – enhanced memories of my childhood with bits of humor thrown in. But these are not from my childhood. These are more recent. They are from my sixties. Hope you enjoy. Hope you laugh.

The first one I call “Randy’s Adventure.” Randy of course, is my husband of forty-seven years.

I had just sat down at my computer to work on the column for next week when I heard Randy yelling loudly from the mudroom (his bathroom)… “Help, help, I need help…” Well, first I considered if he could make so much noise he must not be in too bad of shape…I waited just a second, pretending I did not hear (it is quite a distance from our front room/office to the mudroom, and the foot massager under my desk was running and making a decent amount of noise). Then, “Somebody help me, p-l-e-a-s-e!”

Okay, I gave up and headed toward the mudroom. In the kitchen I ran into a nearly naked man (he had a towel around him), ripping paper towels from the holder; he had a look of sheer terror on his face.

“What happened?” I inquired, still not exceptionally concerned.

“I spilled the soap and I don’t know how to get it up.”

With trepidation, I followed him into the mudroom.

Yep, his jar-like container of hand cleaner (he had been working on his truck), had tipped over when he tried to open it (using only one hand, no doubt) – and you may find this hard to believe – but not only was there a generous blob of thick orange soap on the counter – lo and behold – there was also a goopy gob on the floor.

Well, no wonder he was yelling for help. Good grief, that’s absolutely an emergency, wouldn’t you agree?

Don’t tell him, but I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes while he was squatting over the mess, trying to soak it up with papers towels. He looked up at me, no longer panic-stricken, but certainly, still a little lost.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked as sincerely as possible considering the circumstances.

“I think I’m going to need some more paper towels.”

More paper towels to the rescue. Since he seemed to have everything under control, I headed back to my computer when my granddaughter Gigi dropped by to ask me a question about her history assignment. We sat down at the dining room table. A few minutes later, Randy walked past us (dressed) and seemingly recovered from his mishap.

Ten seconds later, I hear another distraught call: “You left your foot massager on!” he chided as he walked passed the front room.

“Oh, yes, I was using it when you called for help and I neglected to shut it off when I ran to your rescue,” I admitted. “Then Gigi came over and I forgot.”

Without another word, he took it upon himself to shut off the switch. Amazing. Yes, sometimes it is amazing what a grown man can do – all by himself. The End.

All’s fair in love and stories…so this one pokes fun at me.

Bark! Bark! 

Although we live out in the country with plenty of space for animals, we have none. At least no domestic ones, although we continually see (or smell) evidence of the wild ones – deer, possums, skunks and the like. Once in awhile a stray dog or cat will wander into one of our yards. While some of the grandkids think this is exciting, others run into their houses for protection. My nephew, who has a small farm behind us, raises cows and the kids do enjoy watching them through the fence, especially when they have young calves. 

I am not even sure how this got started, but one day I sneaked up on the kids while they were playing outside, and…I can’t believe I’m telling you this…I started making barking noises. They sounded authentic enough that a couple of the kids ran for cover. So, every once in awhile I’ll start howling from a distance, just to get their attention. Occasionally I startle them, but most of the time one of them will say, “It’s just Grammy.”

Forward to Washington, D.C. in September, 2016. Emily, her husband Steven and four children (Emma age 8; Izabella age 5; Sophia age 3; and Isaac age 1) had invited Randy and me to travel with them for a few days of sightseeing. We stayed at a family-friendly motel in Arlington, Virginia and took the Metro into the DC area where all the tourist attractions are located. The late summer weather was miserably hot and humid. After completing an inspiring walking tour of monuments and memorials, we decided to visit the National Zoo – just a 3.5 mile walk away from the Lincoln Memorial where our tour had ended. The two younger ones had the luxury of a stroller. 

It was a long 3.5 mile walk, including some sidewalks that seemed to be inclining with each step. By the time we reached the zoo, I was pert near worn out. Not too far inside the entrance was a lovely, tree-covered waiting area with seats and tables. What a welcoming site! I know my limits. Encouraging the others to follow the trail that would take them on a safari, I made myself comfortable on a well-worn wooden bench and watched the people. We only had about two hours on our schedule for the zoo and I surmised I needed the rest before our trek back to the Metro. 

Watching the other tourists was interesting and enjoyable. When I asked a man wearing a dark business suit, crisp white shirt and bright red tie what important government office he held (yes, I really did that – it’s the Southern in me), he replied it was his wife who held the office. Her name was Maria Contreras-Sweet and she was the head of the Small Business Administration, a Cabinet level position in the Obama administration. His name was Ray Sweet, and I learned from googling him after we returned home that he was an accomplished businessman in his own right. He was cordial and I found our conversation about Washington politics riveting.

A couple from Pennsylvania was especially nice. They were also waiting while their son and his family toured the zoo. After we had talked awhile, he excused himself and returned a few minutes later with three bottles of cold water. We chatted almost an hour until their son and his family returned.

After their departure, I begin to feel restless, but was grateful to be sitting in the cool under the branches of the giant maple trees rather than traipsing along the paths in the hot sun. At one point I was the only one in the waiting area. I don’t wear a watch or use a cellphone (except when I am in my car) so I had lost track of time, but it seemed that two hours had passed.

My attention was caught by what I thought were familiar voices. I listened more closely. Somewhere behind me I could hear Steven’s booming voice, in harmony with chatter from Emma and Izabella. Just noticing the wrought iron fence about 20 feet away, I walked toward it, leaned over and realized that the waiting area was sitting atop a lower level of the zoo. Through the thick foliage, I could barely make out some human forms but was sure I recognized those voices. Wanting to get their attention, I decided to bark – just like at home. Reaching over as far as safely possible, I strived to invoke my best canine imitation and I let out a few loud yelps.

No response. Once more. “Arf-f-f, arf-f-f!” Oh, well, I guess the zoo is not the best place to get someone’s attention by making an animal noise. 

I turned to walk back to the bench…and for the first time noticed a woman who must have just entered the area. She looked at me strangely – like she had just watched me, ahem….bark. I took a step toward her so I could explain, but she turned and was out of there. Quickly.

In a few minutes, I saw Steven and the others walking toward me.

“Grammy, I thought I heard you barking a few minutes ago but I couldn’t see you,” Emma disclosed.  

“Yeah, I thought I heard you too,” Izabella joined in.

“Was that you? I didn’t know what it was.” Stephen added, a bit confused.

At least Emma and Izabella understood. Grandchildren should always be attuned to their Grammy’s bark. The End.

Caring Quote:  Laughter is the most beautiful and beneficial therapy God ever granted humanity. Chuck Swindoll