Sunday's Word--

Sunday's Word--

Today's word was laughter.  Included in this word is giggle, smile, snicker, chortle, snort.   Laughter comes in many different sizes and sounds.  It can burst forth with dynamic energy or make itself known quietly.  A smile is quiet energy.  A giggle is much bigger.  It shakes the body.  If it lasts long enough, it might end with a snort.  Nobody wants to hear that sound leave their body!

The way laughter arrives is varied, also.  It can come as a sight gag.  We see someone begin to fall.  We watch as they try to gain control.  They can't.  The fall unfolds slowly, and we are caught up in the drama of the moment.  For some goofy reason, it looks funny to us.  We cannot surpress the laughter that we feel bubbling just below the surface.  Once the laughter escapes our body, we cannot stop.  Even remembering the moment years later brings the same peals of laughter.

Watching and listening to a baby laugh is an absolute joy.  This kind of laughter is at no one's expense. It can come when we play peek-a-boo with a baby.  Or when we repeat some type of action that the baby finds funny.  Their laugh fills the room.  Everyone listening laughs, too.  If we had that type of laugh to listen to every day, I think our lives would be happier.

We smile at others without thinking.  It seems to be one way humans relate to one another.  We smile at folks in the grocery store, in a shopping center, at the post office.  Often others smile at us when we meet on the street.  A smile is a way of connecting with another planet person.  We really don't need to have a personal relationship with people to give a smile.

Why is it that we laugh when we are not supposed to laugh?  At my grandmother's funeral I got the giggles.  During the service.  I tried to make others believe I was crying.  But, when the tissues started appearing from other family members, I almost lost it completely.   I think I may have even made a few sounds.  My granny would have loved it.  The more I tried to overcome the urge to laugh, the stronger it became.  I was so glad when music started.  It gave me the opportunity to pull myself together.

While we laugh with others in our world, the ones we might consider sharing larger doses with are those in our families.  Things can get so darn serious with our family members.  If we could learn to laugh at ourselves more,  some of the petty disagreements might end in laugher instead of ugly words or actions.  Laughter can turn a tense moment into something quite wonderful.  It all depends on our ability to let things go.  Life is so much more fun when laughter is a companion.

Today I received many smiles from people I know.  I gave the same away.  That is the other thing about laughter and its many components.  It is free.  All it takes is a willingness to see the lighter side of life.

Sunday's word is beauty.  Where will we find beauty tomorrow?  What will it look like?  How do we define beauty?   I am looking forward to all things beautiful tomorrow.   Won't you join me in the search for beauty?