Have you ever set yourself up to be disappointed by your expectations? Jumped to wrong conclusions? Interpreted a situation differently than it was intended, and took offense when none was meant? Such was the case of my big, beautifully wrapped present.

I wished I had called on my sense of humor to communicate my hurt feelings, in lieu of over-reacting, when I unwrapped my gift, an elaborate 5 piece dusting set that my husband was so proud of buying to "help me" with my housework.

Instead of causing a scene, I could have joked with him and said, "I know you didn't mean to offend me by insinuating that I am not a good housekeeper. So, I'm going to give you a chance to make it up to me. I am promoting you to head duster, and giving you permission to borrow my new dusting set."

That Christmas, I was reminded that outward appearances can be deceiving. And Larry learned "The First Rule of Holes - If you are in one, quit digging." That is, if your house is dusty, don't buy your wife a handy, dandy duster set. Instead, wait until she leaves the room, secretly pick up a dust cloth and get to work.

Permission granted to post this humor tip on your web site, insert into your newsletter, or hang on your bulletin board by including: Provided by Lois McElravy, Lessons from Lois, www.lessonsfromlois.com