One of the things I've learned from writing this blog is how much I forget. Some of the things I've written about I simply wouldn't have remembered had I not written about it. It made me wish I had started earlier.

Most of our funny stories are remembered because of how often they're told and re-told--and the hundredth time we share them is just as funny as the first time. Actually, they may even get funnier. Sometimes it takes time to appreciate the humor in a situation.

Sadly, I can't recall the details of one of my favorite funny memories. When Dane was three or four, he wouldn't go to bed without saying prayers first. Not that he was a particularly devout little guy, it was just his way of putting off going to bed. But boy, did he find a lot to pray about! It ended up being the highlight of my day. How I wish I would have written some of them down! The only detail I can distinctly remember is his faithfulness to pray for our president: George Washington. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud in the midst of his long-winded prayers, with all his skewed facts and odd observations, but I knew one snicker would have ended forever his innocent, unaffected entreaties.

I wanted my mom to experience this hilarious prayer time, but warned her she could NOT laugh.  I snuck upstairs to try and listen in and caught her army crawling out of his bedroom, barely suppressing laughter. Thankfully, she did manage to sneak out without Dane realizing it and I was able to quietly slip in her place.

The biggest piece of advice I would offer young mothers is to write down those funny stories. Because as much as you believe you will never forget something, you will. A couple of sentences a day can provide laughter for a lifetime. Nothing bonds and heals like shared memories, shared laughter. Laughter truly is the best medicine.

"Laughter is one of the greatest tonics known to man. It is the second most powerful emotion we as people can express (the first being love)."