Laughter, love and the sweet scent of hockey gear

Have you ever noticed how much kids laugh? Giggles, snorts, chortles, guffaws — they erupt into joy hundreds of times a day, often for no reason at all.

Then we grow up. Life gets busier, heavier. The laughter doesn’t disappear entirely, but it thins out. We still smile, still chuckle. But it’s different, isn’t it?

Laughter holds tremendous power — for our bodies, our hearts, our heads. It’s free. It’s easy. And it might just be the most underrated form of self-care we have.

One of my favorite sources of joy? My Tickle Trunk.
A mental drawer box with memories and nonsense I can pull out anytime I need a boost and a giggle.

Exhibit A from my Tickle Trunk: The Hockey Bag.

My son played hockey all through school. Which meant years of me driving him around with his hockey bag — sweaty, smelly, moist, absolutely foul gear — stashed in the backseat.

One night, we got stopped at a routine police check. The officer leaned right in, nose nearly touching mine, and asked:
“Where’ve you been? Where are you going? Had anything to drink tonight?”

I replied, “My son’s hockey practice. Home. And no.”
The officer took a deep breath, trying to smell alcohol on my breath… and inhaled a lungful of fresh, teenage hockey bag.

He pretty much leapt away from the window. Sputtering. Eyes watering. And waved us on out of his sight, mind and senses.

Years later, when my son left for university, I had the car deep cleaned. Almost had that new car smell back. Bliss.

But after graduation, I went to help him pack and move home. What do I get for the eight-hour drive back?
That same blasted hockey bag.

Oddly, I loved every minute of it. Still makes me laugh.
Moms, right?

Maybe you’ve got a few stories like that — moments that still crack you up.
But sometimes, you don’t even need a memory.
Sometimes all it takes is a really good, entirely pointless question.

So, in the spirit of delight, here’s a handful from my Tickle Trunk:

• Which is silent in the word scent — the “s” or the “c”?
  • Have you ever eaten something off the floor?
    • Where do pirates get their hooks? Second-hand shops.
    • Would you rather speak every language in the world, or be able to speak to animals?
  • What did the shark say when he ate the clownfish? This tastes a little funny.
• Where did the lettuce go for a drink? The salad bar.
• Why do French people eat snails? They don’t like fast food.
  • Why shouldn’t you tell secrets in a cornfield? Too many ears.
    • What’s the most useless thing you know how to do?
    • What kind of music do bubbles hate? Pop.
  • Have you ever waved at someone… who wasn’t waving at you?
• Why can’t a nose be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot.
• RIP to boiling water… You will be mist.
  • What do you call a sad strawberry? A blueberry!
    • What’s your favorite form of potato?
    • Have you ever tried to telepathically move something with your mind?
  • If you could have any mythical creature as a pet what would it be?
• Have you ever waved at someone who wasn’t waving at you?
• If your pet could talk, what’s the first thing they’d say to you?
  • What do you talk about when you talk to yourself?
    • When eating tacos, do you turn the taco sideways or your head? 
    • What’s the most unnecessary thing you’ve ever bought?  

And on and on — you get the idea. 

Let me know if you need any more. I’ve got a trunk full of them. 😉

So, let’s hear it:
Got a joke, a ridiculous question, or a story that still makes you laugh?
Drop it in the comments. I’d love to hear it.

And if not? Just know:
Joy doesn’t always make sense. And maybe that’s the point.

Until next time.