Dear Lyla,
Humor is one of the most valuable assets an individual can possess. A sense of humor indicates a heightened intellect, an ability to cope with adversity and it keeps one humble. One of the reasons that I fell in love with your Daddy is his wicked sense of humor; he would call it finely honed sarcasm crafted over decades of dedicated practice. You come from a long line of laughter and teasing on Daddy’s side of the family. When I watch Daddy tease you I can see his father and grandfather’s influence. Your uncles are all big goofs too; they love to irritate you girls to the point of utter and complete frustration (it comes from a place of love and affection so try not to let it get to you). One’s aptitude for humor can present itself at a very early age, which was the case with your Uncle Aaron. Grandma Carolyn was a favorite target for your Daddy and Aunt Sara, who are considerably older than Uncle Aaron; they were bad influences on that young sweet boy. Back in the 1990’s there was a very popular film called “Forrest Gump” about a loveable but intellectually challenged man who was being bullied early on in the film. There is a memorable scene in which his friend Jenny told him to “Run Forrest….Run!” to escape the bullies. So popular was this film that certain lines from the film found their way into everyday vernacular. One night your Daddy, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Sara and I were at Grandma Carolyn’s house. We all wanted to watch a movie which was fine with grandma but she insisted that she got to choose the movie. She chose a Steven Seagal movie called “On Deadly Ground.” Sorry little one but your grandma does not have excellent taste in movies, this movie gets an average rating of 4 out of 10. There was a collective groan from all of us when she chose it, but we sat down to watch it. Your Daddy and his siblings offered running commentary throughout the entire movie and the objective of the running diatribe was to irritate grandma to the point that she would give up and let them watch something else. They were relentless your Daddy and Aunt Sara, to the point where grandma snipped at them a bit. Uncle Aaron was much younger then and out of the three he was most likely to defend grandma and at the beginning of the film he did. However, even to a twelve year old, it was clear that this movie about a heavily armed environmentalist taking on big oil in Alaska would not be winning any Oscars. Your grandma would not capitulate; she was bound and determined that she would see this movie through to the end. Half way through the movie the main character, named Forrest Taft, was surrounded by menacing bad guys and Uncle Aaron shouted “Run Forrest….Run!” Your Daddy, Aunt Sara and I collapsed from fits of laughter. The juxtaposition of grandma’s stern determination to watch the film and Uncle Aaron’s effuse warning to Steven Seagal was a textbook offering of perfect comedic timing. Even Grandma Carolyn could not ignore the humor of the situation; it was at that point she admitted she didn’t think the movie was very good either. It was well over twenty years ago that this story took place but it is still fresh in my memory. When Daddy, Sara, Aaron or I say the phrase “Run Forrest…Run!” the purpose of its utterance is to evoke laughter by remembering that night. It is a reminder that teasing grandma was, and still is, one of their favorite pursuits. I wish for you these kinds of memories little one. That you think back on your life when you are older and your remember laughter being central to your childhood. You and your Daddy are a lot of alike; you are already honing a sharp sense of humor and understand the concept of sarcasm and before the age of six. I encourage you to continue to develop your wit; knowing full well that I will be the favorite target for you and Daddy.
Letters To Lyla 