True confession: in the Badger household: the level of humor is pretty much 5th grade, MAX. More likely 2nd grade. There are a lot of fart jokes, and some giggling about poops. Occasionally, the adults share some sarcastic observations about "Chopped", but it's pretty low-brow overall. This is okay, though, as it mostly results in a lot of laughter, and a sense of ease, and being comfortable around each other. We are easy on each other. We try not to judge. It is easy to empathize, and to put yourself in another's shoes. Aside: the Baby Badger actually does put herself in another's shoes...and clumps around happily! When Daddy River Badger and I got married, our celebrant used some very meaningful words at our ceremony: in time, looking back on the years we'd been married, we should hear laughter echo through our experience. Words that I felt meant something back in the day before kids, and mean even more now.
You see, our sense of humor has been a defining characteristic of our family since before the three Badgers were born. Daddy River Badger cracks me up! Humor is woven through our marriage, identifying us as a family. It is there to shelter us from the criticism of others, to hold us up when we feel sad, and to relieve our hardest days. It is a distraction, and a way of fitting in. It is a way to discover a kindred spirit, and to express love.
It is therefore fortuitous that the low-brow humor allows the Little Badgers to participate fully, despite being in the under-five-years crowd. They laugh at Mommy and Daddy, at each other, and at situations in general. They laugh. I had always ignorantly assumed that I would have happy kids, but ignorance is bliss. When you look at the world, at how vulnerable each of us are, and how hard it is for sensitive children to navigate their way without their spirits being bruised somehow, you hope that their sense of humor will see them through. Don't take yourself too seriously! Don't take others too seriously! Don't let a single person or thing define you! Laugh! Find joy!
Today, I had several moments of joy. One was in the car, with all three Badgers. Big Brother Badger was talking about music, and I turned on some club tunes. You know, boom-boom-boom...dance music! BBB started grooving in his seat, totally happy. Little Brother Badger laughed and rolled his eyes at the situation, and Baby Badger squealed at her big brothers. We laughed and found joy.
So, if you visit us, you might roll your eyes a little at our snickering and silly jokes. But, we have a happy family and a happy house, and if you accidentally pee yourself from laughing too hard, you're probably not the only one.
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