Spotlight: You Make My Heart Giggle by Brent John Larsen
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Nonfiction, Feel Good, Memoir
Date Published: July 29, 2025
Publisher: Elite Online Publishing
If you liked “Chicken Soup for the Soul” or “Tuesdays with Morrie,” you will love this book.
You Make My Heart Giggle: Dadisms, The Wisdom and Wit of Dad is the perfect book for anyone who cherishes the timeless wisdom of fathers and the lessons they impart, often disguised as quirky sayings. Whether you're seeking inspiration, laughter, or a heartfelt reminder of life's most cherished values, this book is for you.
Inside, you’ll discover:
● Time-tested Dadisms, each packed with wisdom to inspire courage, persistence, and optimism—so you can tackle life's challenges with confidence.
● Historical insights and personal stories, showing how these simple sayings align with some of history’s greatest moments, giving you a new appreciation for their deeper meanings.
● A heartfelt tribute to fatherhood, reminding you of the love, humor, and guidance that shape our lives, so you can cherish and pass these lessons down to generations.
This book is authentic, inspiring, and proven to make you laugh, reflect, and appreciate the impact of a father’s words in ways you never imagined.
Don't wait, grab your copy today and relive the wisdom, laughter, and love that only a dad can provide!
Excerpt
A little about my dad
Little Johnny as my father was known spent his early childhood in cache valley a beautiful mountain setting in northern Utah. The valley was lush and green in summer with horses and cows grazing peacefully in fields framed by homemade log and wire fences. The severe winters were in stark contrast to the mild summers. bitterly cold but beautiful. Each morning the sun would stream through the trees causing the hoar frost (which had settled on the branches during the night) to sparkle like a thousand little gems. Against a cobalt blue sky, the contrast was stunning. cache valley was a wonderful place for an active young boy to grow up in. pine covered mountains to climb, clear running rivers to fish and plenty of places to explore. cache valley got its name from the mountain men and trappers who traveled the Rockies in search of valuable furs, fox, beaver and bear, beaver pelts were in high demand in the east because top hats were all the rage and a beaver top hat signaled wealth and class. Jim Bridger, and Jedediah Smith were a few of those who roamed the high mountains in the 1820’s. Jedediah was born and raised in Boston, Jim hailed from Chicago These young men had left the comforts of eastern cities for the lonely and rugged life in the west. it was a solitary existence always working the trap lines by themselves. Each spring around the first week in May, these intrepid young men would assemble together (to retrieve their hidden furs “caches” that they had created during the winter months,) in what was for them the high social event of the year It was called the rendezvous.
Dads father Rube was slight of build. He had come from humble circumstances. raised on a small farm that managed to put food on the table but little else. Rube would spend his entire life raising livestock and living off the land the same as his father and his grandfather before him had done. Dads mother Charlotte was the daughter of John Anderson. A tall man, and rather quiet and soft spoken. He was impeccable in appearance. altogether a rather handsome man. He had amassed a small fortune in real estate, as president of the Logan First National Bank and the proprietor of the ZCMI Mercantile Store on main street. in 1864 as a young boy He had walked from St Louis to the Rocky Mountains to homestead with his family in the northern Utah Territory. it was said of charlotte that she could have any man in the valley but settled on a quiet country boy. As a cattleman Rube was hardly ever home. He was demanding of his children but in a kind sort of way.
My father (little Johnny) was a very active and outgoing young boy with little fear of anything, always towering over his fellow schoolmates. Despite his size, he was a kind and gentle child. As an adult, he was larger than life not only physically, but he was also large intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. At 6’ 6” 320 pounds, size 16 shoes, coat size 56, everyone quit calling him little Johnny and he simply became known as Big John.
He had an unwavering love for his country. He was part of what Tom Brokaw called “the Greatest Generation“ serving in world war II in the south pacific. He was involved in the battles at Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, Leyte, Philippines, and Okinawa. along with being part of one of the first contingencies to enter Hiroshima after the Atomic Bomb was dropped.
He loved golf, he loved to travel, he never held public office but was deeply involved in local caucuses, state conventions, and campaigning for candidates he believed in. As far as singing, he could not carry a tune, but he loved music and the arts and saw to it that we often attended the Utah Symphony, plays at the Promised Valley Play House, and excursions to the local galleries so we could appreciate fine art. We could decide for ourselves as to whether or not we wanted to play sports, but we had no such freedom when it came to learning how to play a musical instrument. To dad it was non-negotiable, He said simply. “You will”
I knew he loved me not only by what he said but by what he actually did. One night in late August of1968, my father came home from work and asked me if I could visit with him for a few minutes. My first though was “Oh no what have I done now. I soon realized that his tone was very different from past visits. He said, “Son I have been offered the job to be the principle of your high school, and I need to know if that would bother you in any way”? I then asked him “what he would do if the answer was yes”, His response surprised me, he said “Son, you are far more important than any job could ever be, and if it would cause you even the slightest worry or concern, I will turn the job down” I knew that he really wanted that job but I also knew he really meant what he said. My answer to him was that it would be fine and for the next 3 years we had what many would call a rather unique experience together.
I hope the stories I tell here will be of some interest, but more importantly I hope it will awaken in each reader the realization of the lessons that each has learned from those who have been their source of inspiration and learning. Those who have truly made a difference in their lives.
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About the Author
Brent was a product of the fascinating and turbulent decades of the 60’s and 70’s. He came from a very average middle-class family. Growing up, he would be labeled by society’s standards as almost invisible. He was surrounded by incredible role models that greatly influenced his life, including teachers, friends, and most importantly, family. Brent was an Eagle Scout and served a two-year mission for his church in Northern England.
He met his future bride in a geology class at the University of Utah and graduated with a BS degree in History. Putting himself through school, he worked for First Security State Bank. Brent taught students with reading disabilities at Union Jr High School and History at Alta High School before leaving education to work for Pfizer Pharmaceutical. Eventually, he started his own highly successful construction company, which now includes three of his sons as part of the family business. He also owns 3 companies involved in real estate development and acquisition.
Brent's greatest joy comes from his family. He is a proud father to 2 daughters and 5 sons, and a contented grandpa to 30 grandchildren, with one great-grandchild on the way. He loves sports, photography, travel, especially in France, England, Holland, and the inside passage of Alaska and being in the outdoors; he cherishes time at their cabin in the Manti Lasal mountains or their condo in the red rock country of southern Utah. He enjoys hiking and rappelling slot canyons in the southwest and river running, especially the mighty Colorado River. Brent also started the Metra Learning Center and On-line productions. He played the clarinet in the University of Utah marching and pep bands and remarkably built his first home with no prior construction experience, which still stands 45 years later.
Throughout his life, Brent has been driven by the undeniable influence one person can have on generations untold and the profound lessons taught by a father to his sons and daughters. His life reflects the deep and enduring relationship between a father and his children.
Website: youmakemyheartgiggle.com
