A Hill, Some Bags and a Pot Belly
My husband has a pretty good sense of humour. He also has the capacity to tell a joke well, and to see the humour in things.
A couple of our adult sons seem to have learned the art of humour from their Dad and so return to their Dad some of the friendly ribbing he gives them.
My husband, Chris, isn’t fat, but has had a pot belly for years. Over the last six months, he has been trying to reduce his stomach - and is having some success. One of his strategies is to go on a daily walk to the post office and market. The outward walk is downhill, which means he must walk uphill to return home. It’s not terribly steep, but it does require a bit more effort, especially when he is carrying bags of fruit or vegetables that he bought from the market.
The other day, when Chris returned from his daily walk our son David was in the kitchen. As Chris deposited several bags of fruit and vegetables on the kitchen bench, Chris remarked offhandedly that he got some good exercise on his walk because he carried an extra 10kg up the hill.
David immediately turned to his Dad and, glancing quickly at Chris’s stomach retorted, “I thought you always carried an extra 10kg up the hill!”
Chris made a mock protest and the two bantered humorously with each other for a short time, while the rest of us in the room laughed with them. We all enjoyed the joke and the general sense of ease and camaraderie that the moment brought.
“A merry heart does good like a medicine.” Prov 17:22