Sometimes laughter is forced, sometimes it's fake, and sometimes it's downright hurtful. But there's a kind of laughter that emanates from the soul, that enlightens our whole being. That's the very best kind of laughter.
Many of my favorite memories involve laughter. Many of my worst memories also involve laughter. I fell down the stairs once and hit my foot really hard against the wall (I was limping for weeks afterward). My daughter saw me fall, and as I laid on the stairs on the verge of tears she started laughing. It wasn't hurtful laughter--she cares for me and doesn't want to see me in pain--but physical comedy can be pretty funny, even in real life. I wish I'd had a stunt double to take that fall for me, but even though I was hurting I ended up laughing right along with her. It lightened the moment and distracted me from my physical discomfort.
This same daughter, currently age 17, has difficulty staying serious when it's really important to be serious, such as when it's time to pray. Some nights she gets the giggles so badly she can't get a word out. When this happens, I often ask someone else to pray. But since laughter is contagious, it doesn't always work. Those are some of my most treasured memories.
Laughter is joy that cannot be contained. It comes in moments of release, when a deep and stifling emotion vacates. It comes when we suddenly see how ridiculous we look, or how crazily we've been behaving. The ability to laugh at oneself, even (or perhaps especially) in the midst of a difficult situation, is a healthy and often overlooked form of self-therapy.
No comments:
Post a Comment