Susie Youssef grew up as one of six sisters in a large Lebanese family – a birthright she regularly uses to dispense very witty life advice. (See: If you don’t have kids, you can never complain to your sisters that you’re “tired.”)
The Sydney-born comedian and actor is now a staple on Australian cinema screens. And while it may just be Susie who has made a career out of it, a sense of humour runs in the family. Youssef considers a silly and totally unique item that belonged to her grandfather to be her most sacred possession. Here, she tells us about the family heirloom that just makes her laugh, as well as the story of two other important personal items.
What I would save from my house in the event of a fire
When I was little, we would go to my grandfather’s house every Christmas. And every year my grandfather would build this incredible nativity scene – but there was one piece that didn’t fit with the rest of the set. It was a donkey ornament that he had bought somewhere on his travels, and he spit cigarettes out of his asshole.
As a child, I thought it was the funniest thing in the world – having its tail twisted and a cigarette coming out of its butt. And so I always kept an eye on it because it was the most inappropriate thing in the nativity scene. Then when my grandfather died, the donkey and all his belongings were in a nursing home and the staff threw him away. My uncle, the hero, searched the dumpsters to find him. Now he stands proudly on my bookshelf and is my most prized possession.
It’s kind of falling apart now and is only held together with some old tape. I’ve tried to find a similar one but it’s one of a kind. It just makes me laugh. I still can’t really believe that this cigarette-wielding donkey spent most of my childhood in a nativity scene.
My most useful item
My weighted blanket. I don’t think my current house was built with insulation in mind – it’s definitely warmer outside than inside – and I’m cold all the time, so I have it on my bed over two different comforters. And as an anxious person, I find it helps me breathe.
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Also, I am in a long distance relationship, so it is just nice to feel the weight of something on you when you are alone.
The item I most regret losing
Did I lose it or did one of my sisters steal it? Hard to say, but it’s my Filofax from 1998.
Today, everyone has a phone. But in 1998, not everyone had a Filofax. Mine was a black, padded binder with Velcro fastening. It had all my secrets and the home phone numbers of everyone I knew. I made notes every day about the good things that happened and sometimes the bad. It even had one of those display areas where I kept all my old movie tickets – it was like a time capsule! It really hurts me to think that I don’t have it anymore. I still remember saving up to buy it.
As far as sentimental things go, all I have is a box full of notebooks that I have to burn before I die so no one can read all the horrible things I’ve ever written.
