A Little Lightness
Gentle humor. Everyday moments. A reason to smile.
Life gives us plenty to carry. This space offers a moment to smile through gentle humor, everyday observations, and contributions from people who remind us how welcome laughter can be.
Alongside the stories and reflections I share here, I wanted to make room for a little playfulness. Sometimes an unexpected remark, a familiar predicament, or a perfectly timed joke gives us just the breath we need.
Stay a moment. You may find something that brightens your day.
A Smile from Ze’ev
Rabbi Ze’ev Smason often shares humor that makes me smile. With his kind permission, I’ll share selections here so that you can enjoy them, too.
When I asked about sharing his posts, he wrote:
“It would be a pleasure if just one more person on LinkedIn smiles.”
I’m happy to help that smile travel a little farther.
All the Proof Your Wife Needs
By Rabbi Ze’ev Smason
Today my wife asked me to take an important document to the County Courthouse -- six floors of courtrooms and bureaucratic offices.
When I reached my destination (yes, I walked the stairs to the fifth floor), I handed the clerk a large envelope containing the document.
Concerned that the envelope might get lost in the shuffle, I swallowed hard and asked the woman behind the desk:
"Is it possible to get a receipt showing that I delivered this? I don't want my wife to think I stopped at Starbucks and forgot to bring it."
She smiled.
"Honey, I'm married, too. I know how husbands can be."
With that, she opened the envelope, removed an unnecessary cover page, stamped it with an official seal confirming that the document had been received, and handed it to me.
Still smiling, she said, "This should be all the proof your wife needs. Have a wonderful day."
People are beautiful.
Written by Rabbi Ze’ev Smason. Reprinted with permission.
To the Fellow That Gave Me His Typewriter
Ze’ev:
Yo can rn bt yo can't hide
Cynthia:
Ze’ev, I suspect the missing “u” is the key to this mystery!
Maybe the previous owner thought “u” weren’t his type. 🙃
Ze’ev:
I think the previous owner had it out for me. He heard that I was able to use two typewriters simultaneously, and felt that I was ... stereo-typing 😊
From a LinkedIn exchange between Rabbi Ze’ev Smason and Cynthia Goble. Ze’ev’s contributions shared with permission.
An Ape Walks Into a Library
NEWSFLASH: An ape escaped from the St. Louis Zoo! A search was launched, but to no avail.
Finally, the ape was discovered in the city library, sitting at a desk with two books spread out before him. He was studying them with great concentration.
One was the Bible. The other was Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species.
The zookeepers approached and asked what he was doing.
The ape looked up and replied:
“I’m trying to figure out whether I’m my brother’s keeper or my keeper’s brother.”
Cynthia:
He certainly chose the right place to explore a big question. Though I suspect the zookeepers were hoping for a little less research and a little more cooperation.
Ze’ev:
The follow-up report indicated he was remarkably uncooperative. He asked for a banana, and when no one was looking he ..gave them the slip :)
Shared on LinkedIn by Rabbi Ze’ev Smason, with a follow-up exchange between Ze’ev and Cynthia Goble. Ze’ev’s contributions are shared with permission.
A Different Kind of Plastic Surgery
“My wife helped me overcome my own lack of spending self-control by insisting that I get plastic surgery.
She cut up my credit cards. 😄”
By Rabbi Ze’ev Smason. Shared with permission.
The Funny Side of Everyday Life
Life supplies its own material: the errand that becomes an adventure, the words that come out differently than we intended, or the beagle who has his own ideas about the day’s schedule.
Here, I’ll occasionally share the moments that make me pause—and laugh.
Something Made You Smile?
Have a funny moment or a gentle bit of humor to share? I’d love to hear it. Please use my Contact page and let me know where it came from.
If I’d like to feature your contribution, I’ll contact you first to confirm permission and how you would like to be credited.
A little lightness is always welcome.