God, I Love to Laugh!

God, I Love to Laugh!

Is there anything in this world better than the opportunity to fall out of one’s chair with tears from laughter? Or a good laugh-snort?! What about a laugh-pee?! When an amazing joke comes along there are absolutely no rules for bodily functions!

I’ve always been the consummate class clown and had the conduct grades to prove it! As an adult I always find myself holding court anytime I’m at a social engagement and I’ve been hushed up in public on numerous occasions. Laughter is a great unifier and a tool I use often to bridge the gap in shared beliefs, social standings, or other commonalities. We don’t have to agree on everything to share a good laugh together!

Laughter can also be such a sign of resilience. I began writing this article while in the recovery room with my husband after recent sinus surgery. The poor man was in excruciating pain and was extremely loopy from the anesthesia, but he still had the wherewithal to crack jokes about the lousy martini service in the recovery room. It was his way of letting me know that even though he felt like he’d been “hit in the face with a truck”, he’s going to be alright. He’s still in the game. He’s still making me smile.

This thought took me way back to my childhood. When we were kids, if my sister or I got sick, we would make it our job to sit with the other and make them laugh until they got well. We’re only 15 months apart and fought incessantly as kids. However, we needed the Ying to our Yang in order to function and made it our mission to lift the other’s spirits until they were well enough to leave their room and play!

My mother cracked jokes until the very end. She always thought of different people the medical staff looked like and told us so, quietly, as they entered the room, so that we’d have to keep the laughter stifled out of respect. We also knew better than to make eye contact with her as she’d point her eyebrows or lips toward the medical professional she was referring to for an additional element of humor. She once had a “Steve Martin lookalike” complete a procedure on her and while she was still high from the “Michael Jackson Drugs*” she remarked at how great he was in My Blue Heaven**!

There was one time my siblings and I had to fly across the country because our father had a stroke. During this time, my mother’s heart decided to go into a little atrial fibrillation and had to be admitted into the ER. To add to the fun, my then infant daughter came down with the flu and we were kicked out from hospital duties. My sister Sabrina designated “Night Shift Duties” for her, my little brother and eldest sister and made it a point to sing like Lionel Richie every time she spoke of this! To this day none of us can hear this song without cracking up!

Laughter and happiness are a choice. Let me say that again, laughter and happiness are absolutely a choice and I fight for this daily. As a parent, it’s my responsibility to lead by example and I choose to show my children a world full of beauty, silliness and so much laughter! I’m not creating a false, “Lala Land” reality, but I take time daily to laugh with them and remember that my stress and sadness are my own and don’t need to become their burdens. That’s what my therapist is for!

It’s often said that comedians create humor from trauma as a means to cope and heal. They’re able find humor amid the pain and are then able to associate their emotions with laughter and move on from the hurt. Kevin Hart literally had an entire tour called “Laugh at my Pain”! There is humor hidden in most situations and it’s a gift when you’re with someone who can point them out.

When the people I love are gone, I prefer to talk about all the hilarious times I had with them to relive that joy. I can’t think of a single moment in my life where I wasted time on laughter, but I can certainly say the opposite for anger, resentment, insecurity and despair. Our time on earth is too short to miss out on opportunities to smile and I hope one of my lasting legacies is to light up people’s faces whenever they talk about me.

I’ll leave you with this final example of a beautiful time to laugh:

A dear friend had to put their beloved dog to sleep recently and it was heartbreaking for him and his kids. The vet gave her some amazing treats on her last day and put her down at home with her loved ones. When he asked, “What’s her favorite thing to do?” they all looked at each other and began laughing because her favorite pastime was eating poop! Now that’s how you take a final bow!

*Michael Jackson Drugs is a reference to Propofol, the medication that ultimately killed him. While I don’t condone speaking ill of the deceased this was my mom’s joke while under the influence so we’re going to let it slide.

**My Blue Heaven is an incredibly underrated comedy starring Steve Martin as a mobster sent to live in the middle of nowhere while in witness protection. It came out the same year as Goodfellas and was totally overlooked but damn, it’s such a classic!

Quick Recipes for Busy Bitches

This week I’m giving you a recipe that’s a meal prep warrior and just keeps on giving throughout the week! This pasta salad is extremely easy to make and keeps beautifully in the fridge. It’s delicious both hot or cold and can be customized to suit your tastes. I love this salad cold and it’s a staple for busy weeks when I know I won’t have much time to cook. I often find my husband reheating it with chicken breast or enjoying it cold as a side to shrimp cocktail. Enjoy!

A Few Final Thoughts

Are we just done with discussing the whole alien and UFO thing now? It’s like the government just nonchalantly admitted that aliens are real and then dropped the whole subject immediately.  Um, what?!

I subscribe to emails from People Magazine with the latest updates on celebrities and true crime but here’s the actual breakdown of their content: 45% is about “celebrities” I’ve never heard of, 20% is about murders and abductions, 5% is about Kevin Costner’s ongoing divorce drama, 20% is actual celebrity gossip, 5% is just pictures of celebrities doing mundane activities because it’s obviously been a slow day and 5% is solely Kourtney Kardashian Barker and her future death eater baby. I’m also concerned that she and Travis Barker are going to forget to teach their baby how to smile.

Every male candidate in the first Republican Debate this past week wore the exact same suit as Donald Trump (and Rudy Giuliani) in his mug shot. Way to distinguish yourselves, guys. 

There are people I low-key follow on IG and Facebook just so I can share their posts with friends in our DMs. I always “like” their posts after I share them because I’m too embarrassed for my friends to see it but I need to like them so the algorithm keeps this petty gossip in my feed. Don’t judge me. You know you do the exact same thing!

Be Cool xoxo