Reversible vest

This is the second day of the Love Blog Challenge,
hosted by the lovely BelleBrita.
Prompt for 2/4: Laughter

Tim and I do our fair share of laughing. He’s the funny one, although a couple of times I’ve blind-sided him with something uncharacteristically clever. And, even though we don’t always appreciate the same kind of humor, we know each other well enough to recognize what to share and what to just enjoy on our own.

But, I’m telling you. When our kids get together and let us tag along, we bring extra oxygen and some back braces just to keep upright.

Of course, sitting here in my studio looking for an example of a laugh marathon, I can’t even think of one good story or expression or response.

Get any of us started with just an inside joke, family phrase, or vacation reference, though, and the squeaking gets louder with every passing hysterical moment. We stumble over each other’s words, correct forgotten details, and start telling new stories before the last is finished because, of course, we all know how they end.

Just to be clear, again, I’m not often the storyteller. No, but I am the one that fuels the sustained giggles – you know the ones that erupt when everybody gets composed, until one person snorts a little snicker and the domino affect kicks in? Like when the last story doesn’t quite fade away and someone just can-NOT get past that mental picture of Billy’s orange, three-piece plaid suit – the one with the reversible vest?

The pleasure those nights provide cannot be measured. The feeling of euphoria and contentment, combined with the simple joy of being together, is like no other.

Now, I’ve also seen my share of laughter used as a weapon instead of an embrace. I’ve heard kids make serious fun of the new girl’s clothes, or the kid with the stutter or the limp. I’ve heard grown-ups laugh when brainstorming in the conference room – shaming the one whose idea they don’t like with a smirk and a sarcastic put-down.

And I can’t deny my own share of mean-spirited laughing even if those incidents were out-weighed by the times I was at the sharp end of the stick. I look back on those ugly occasions and cringe, hoping I’ve been forgiven and vowing to never repeat something so hurtful.

Healthy and shared laughter is one of the wonderful gifts from God that cost nothing and mean everything. Even if I am in the other room, hearing that quote from Caddyshack or one of the kids say, “Remember when Dad…” warms my heart like nothing else. Because I know it will be followed by howling and knee-slapping and rolling on the floor. I know our sides will ache as our hearts feel ready to burst.

I know that laughter we share, just like love, is what we cherish now and what will sustain us forever.

Photo by nappy from Pexels