Coping Skills & Humor: "My Little Garden Monkey"



Coping skills are just as important as medications & doctors when it comes to dealing with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, bipolar disorders or any kind of challenge.

The one thing my life has not been is boring.  Through some of my darkest times, my mom taught me one of the most important coping skills of all and that is to remember to fill my mind with good thoughts & memories and always try to find something to laugh at even if it's myself!

So, this is one of my favorite, funny memories growing up that I wanted to share about my pet monkey, Jaimie.

"My Little Garden Monkey"

When I was in 2^nd grade, I vividly remember going outside in our backyard to help my dad in our vegetable garden. My family lived on a small farm out in the country, in the beautiful state of Washington.  I loved helping my parents in the vegetable garden and playing hide and go seek with them in the many rows of corn that towered over me. 

One particular day, it was just me and dad in the garden picking green beans when all of a sudden we heard a faint screaming noise and then several swooshing noises coming from our apple trees on the other side of the garden.  My dad and I looked up into the apple trees, shading our eyes from the sun, and dad said, “Honey, there’s a monkey swinging in our apple trees!  I’m going to try to catch it!  Go inside and get your mom while I get a ladder.”  I ran as fast as I could into our yellow farmhouse and got mom, barely being able to speak from all my huffing and puffing from my fast sprint into the house.  As mom was drying her hands on the kitchen towel, I dragged her outside, by the arm, to show her what dad and I had found! We couldn’t believe our eyes!  Dad had actually caught the little spider monkey and was bringing him down the ladder with him!  Hastily getting an old rabbit cage, my parents put the monkey in it and I immediately called my monkey, “Jamie”.  Yep, I claimed ownership to the monkey.  Mom told me not to get attached to the monkey because he most likely belonged to someone else. Barely hearing her words, I gave Jamie a banana, he peeled it and handed the peeling back to me and proceeded to eat the banana. Hmmm…I was already having great plans for this pet monkey of mine.   I was in awe of my garden monkey, Jamie, and couldn’t wait to dress him up, like any other 2^nd grade girl would do of course! 

After the initial shock of catching a monkey in our back yard, dad immediately called the fire department and told them about the situation.  Ironically enough, the fire department accused my father, who was a pastor of a little community church in town, of being intoxicated and hung up on him!  Having a good sense of humor, mom and dad laughed it off.  Brushing that abrupt phone call off, my parents decided to post an ad in the local newspaper regarding a lost little spider monkey.  No one responded within the first few days or weeks and eventually months.  I grew very attached to Jamie and loved him very much.  Almost one year went by until one day someone called about Jamie.  It was the dreaded phone call.  The owners of this precious monkey called to claim him and pick him up.  I cried and sobbed as they took my little garden monkey, Jamie, away.  I will never forget my little garden monkey, Jamie, and that special day in the garden along with many other memories.

I no longer cry tears for Jamie but now smile with giggles as I tell this story to my friends and our kids.  Distracting my thoughts from negative ones or just starting my day out with a positive thought or memory can set the tone for the rest of my day and help me cope with any kind of struggles or challenges that may come up.  So, here's to all the little garden monkeys out there who can brighten up our day!