Laugh til your tummy aches...

It just seemed so unfair for the bitter cold wind to hit me in the face this morning as I helped unload the red-headed beauty that had kept me company for over ten years now. Despite the chill of the wind and the lack of the coat that I'd run out of time to grab this morning; I felt an oddness of warmth inside my soul.

I credited it of course to the green eyes that smiled back at me and grabbed my hand as we headed in to face the grumpy secretary in the front office that frowned at us when we were a few minutes late. Little did she know that it would be her grumpiness that would entertain us after school today when we later got a chance to laugh at how irritated she gets and the silly looks she gives us. As a matter of fact watching her at that moment, it was all I could do not to laugh at the thought of how well my green eyed beauty could imitate those very same expressions.

It later led me to think about expressions throughout my day as I encountered frowns and smiles and even a few down right ugly scowls. I started to wonder if we in fact would make an effort to avoid the looks we give each other if we could see ourselves in a mirror throughout our hectic days? And right at that moment, I looked at myself in the mirror with a frown, and then I smiled. It was amazing the comfort a simple smile gave me. It was as if for that very second someone brought me the perfect fancy coffee with just the right cream and sugar. The taste of it was absolutely divine.

What happened next brought my silly smile to a complete laugh. As I glanced in the mirror one last time before heading to work; I saw this lady walk by and give me an eye roll at how silly she thought I was sitting in a parking lot smiling in my rear view mirror. I laughed that I'd gotten caught staring at myself and because she'd embarrassed me a bit. It felt like a refill of that perfect coffee as my insides filled with laughter.

It was a much needed start to a sleepless night. I do believe, I smiled at everyone I encountered for the rest of my day. Happy, light and absolutely letting go of the things that had weighed me down so many days before. And I had to wonder...can smiles and laughter be the cure to the stresses this world lays before us? Of course, the writer in me had to conduct further research; and what I found made want to giggle until my belly ached.

It turns out that laughter has been proven to relieve pain, bring greater happiness, and even increase immunity. It all made perfect sense. I knew I needed another dose of the healer right away...so right at that moment, 20 minutes ahead of schedule; I drove to that same grumpy secretary's desk and requested my green eyed laughing girl. As soon as she saw me around the corner we both let out the biggest giggle at the very same time looking at the look on "miss grump's" face.

I grabbed that sweet little hand and headed to the door...it was even funnier than it had been before...We jumped in the car and as we drove away...I laughed as I heard my little beauty say..."why are you late yet again?" "Did you have a busy mornin" with the same expressions as that grumpy bear...a frowned mouth and a busy stare...And I laughed at her and she at me...and knew the research was true this was therapy...So laugh away at your life instead...of letting everything fill your head...And each and every time you can...grab your little ones tiny hand...and return the smiles she gives to you...and the happiest life will find you too...