"Be Silly!" by Julie Goodrow

“Blow your nose, you’ll get more out of it,” said my Grandaddy, chuckling as someone honked at him while he slowly swayed down the road in his tank of a car. Later, at a buffet restaurant, I sat down with a bowl of chocolate frozen yogurt. He grinned and asked, “You know what that looks like, don’t ya?” When I didn’t answer quickly enough, he began, “Dog po—” I cut him off, handed him a spoon, and invited him to dig in with me.

Life is full of serious: serious conversations, serious health issues, serious money, serious news, and—yes—serious diagnoses like Cystic Fibrosis. My Grandaddy taught me that silliness is an antidote. He reminded me to take myself less seriously, to laugh when I can, and to care less about what others think—because being me is pretty marvelous.

I’ve tried to carry that lesson forward with my four wonderful kids.

My youngest, Everett, is a carrier of CF, the empath of the crew, and the exclamation point of our family—he just knows when a healing hug is needed. Emily, my youngest daughter, is spunky and fierce, ready to fight for her family (and she might actually throw a fist if required). My oldest son, Ethan, is a quiet observer who surprises us with insights that stop us in our tracks. And yes, those dimples are heart-melters. Then there’s Elena, my oldest. She has Cystic Fibrosis and has always been wise beyond her years. At two years old she would firmly declare, “No jokes. No face making. No bubbles.” Humor never came as easily for her—how could it, when she had to face such heavy realities so young?

But even then, silliness found its way into our family. Sometimes it was the medicine we didn’t know we needed.

When life feels overwhelming, when someone pushes all your buttons, or when you just can’t seem to pull yourself together—take a deep breath (as deep as your lungs will allow). Blow your nose, because you’ll get more out of that than wallowing. And most importantly: be silly.