thoughts for pondering – Surprised By Joy

A re-run of my dad’s humor cards. They make me chuckle all over again – so I hope you enjoy them whether it’s the first time or second (first posted on 2/27/22).

The backstory: My dad was a Presbyterian pastor for 40 years. He kept a well curated stack of humor cards – little stories he heard, found or saw and then typed onto 5×7 cards. Then he wrote in the margins when he used that particular item. His humor was often an easy way to settle in to something deeper – by laughing and thinking about the buried truth in these little nuggets, it paved the way to an open heart.

Thoughts for Pondering

Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.

I don’t mind going nowhere as long as it’s an interesting path.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.

If it ain’t broke, fix it till it is.

In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.

My inferiority complex is not as good as yours.

I am in shape. Round is a shape.

I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad I take something for it.

You’re getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

Life not only begins at forty, it begins to show.

If you like these, a previous post has more of them. This includes my all-time favorite: One of life’s mysteries is how a two-pound box of candy can make us gain five pounds.

Another installment from my dad’s humor cards.

The backstory: My dad was a Presbyterian pastor for 40 years. He kept a well curated stack of humor cards – little stories or observations that he typed onto 5×7 cards. Then he wrote in the margins when he used that particular item. His humor was often an easy way to settle in to something deeper – by laughing and thinking about the buried truth in these little nuggets, it paved the way to an open heart.

When we cleaned out his desk after he died 7 years ago, I was lucky enough to stumble on this stack. I pull it out regularly to have a little laugh with my dear Dad. Now when I post one of them, I write my note next to his and it feels like a continuation.