Being Brave and Funny: #30shorts

 “I’m not funny. What I am is brave.” Lucille Ball said that.

My Mom was a brave person and naturally funny.  Early in their marriage, my father worked an overnight shift at the front desk of a hotel.  Mom always packed him a lunch bag that, for a while at least, was one of his favorites, sardines packed in mustard sauce, a couple slices of bread and a snack.

After what seemed to him a long stretch of the same lunch every day, probably only about a week, Dad said to Mom, “I really appreciate the lunches you make for me, but maybe you could change it up once in a while.”

“What would you like different?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Use your imagination.” 

he replied.

The next night as he went off to work Mom handed to him the packed lunch, kissed him goodbye and said, “enjoy your lunch.”

When it was time to have his lunch, Dad opened the bag and inside was the usual two slices of bread wrapped in wax paper, with a can of sardines in mustard sauce, without the key to open the can. She removed it from the bottom of the tin. Attached to the wax paper wrapped bread was a note.

 “Here is your lunch. I used my imagination to make it. Use your imagination to eat it.”

Many long marriages are fortified with humor and courage. Dad didn’t think so, but that was brave and very funny.   

However, after that episode he hardly ever challenged Mom to use her imagination. Had he used his imagination that night he would have found the key she removed from the can was tucked inside the bread slices.