A Funny Story About Puberty and Misunderstandings

One evening, in the midst of dinner preparation, our 10-year-old daughter asked, “Mommy, what’s puberty?” My wife was rushed at the moment, so she suggested that Peggy look up the word in the dictionary, after which they could talk about it. A few minutes later, Peggy returned.

Her mother asked what the dictionary had said. “Puberty means,” announced Peggy, “the earliest age at which a girl is able to bear children.” “What do you think of that?” my wife asked.

“I’m not sure,” Peggy replied. "I’ve always been able to bear children.

It’s adults I can’t bear."

Aww what a cute sentiment. Kids really do have a way of twisting words around, don’t they? That’s the kind of innocent humor that just makes you smile.

It’s an anecdote, for Christ’s sake! There’s nothing wrong with that! Not everything has to be a punchline joke. Sometimes a real-life story is funnier than anything you can make up. I thought it was charming.