Just thinking about this word makes me laugh. As I poured coffee today and thought about the possible "L" words for which I am grateful, laughter came to mind--and I nearly started to laugh. Prior to actually finishing the first cup of coffee, though, I'd say grinning was probably the best I could do.
That isn't true. I Laugh. At. Everything. And I don't need coffee to get me started.
I wasn't always aware that I laughed at everything. It took years of living with someone who did not laugh like an idiot over everything to discover that I do. Commercials, thoughts, facial expressions, voice inflections--they make me laugh. Out loud. I am not one of those people who laugh softly or politely; I laugh hearty and loud. My laughs are like earthquakes--the potential for a little rumble is always there below the surface. You can never anticipate when "the big ones" will happen, but when they do... duck and cover.
See, laughing for me involves my entire body. If something is really funny, I will employ my arms, legs, bend at the waist, throw my head back, and nudge the person beside me. I'm sorry in advance if this is ever you. If it's just THAT funny, I may need to involve you in it.
Laughing is great for the ego, too. Not mine--yours. How awesome is it to have a friend who laughs at all your funny things? Need some self confidence? Come see me. I'm a one-woman ego boosting machine.
Jordyn
I didn't realize the hilarity gene was transferred through DNA. About the time I was noticing that I laughed (at everything), my middle child Jordyn was a few months old and getting her voice. When she was old enough to sit up and watch her older brother's antics, the laughter began. She's 21 years old now, and nothing has changed. When he comes home during the off-season of pro baseball, our house turns into an improv club. And I am grateful for it. His brand of silly works with her style of humor, and the combination produces a symphony of laughter--her laughs trigger my laughs, and then Jarret laughs at making us laugh.
Kris, making me laugh.
Laughter. I seem to get along really well with others who laugh a lot. An example is my best friend, Kris. Lately, we've been communicating mostly via text messages until we can get together in person. But every once in a while, one of us will need to pick up the phone and call the other. More often than not, instead of "Hello?" we will answer with laughter. She will laugh, then I will laugh. And before long, the first 30 seconds of the phone call is shared laughter about which neither of us knows.
There's friendship laughter, intimate laughter, stranger laughter, and laughter you seek by watching or listening to something funny. I am grateful for every kind. I even laugh by myself--at myself--when I'm alone. And those "LOLOLOLs" I use in response to texts, messages, and comments? Ya, those are real.
I am grateful for the way it makes me feel. Sometimes I seek laughter like a drug. On my DVR are over 30 saved episodes of I Love Lucy. If I need to laugh, Lucy is my fix.
Laughter is said to increase longevity of life. If that's true, I may live forever. In conclusion this fine Saturday, let me leave you with an obscure clip from my favorite episode. Ricky learns "perfect English." Go ahead… laugh. You're adding years.
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