The Medicine that is Laughter

There is nothing quite as cathartic, body healing, heart filling and soul lightening as laughing with your love.

Recently while watching television shows that Left Brain and I both enjoy, I like to watch him more than I do the shows.  

When it is just Left Brain and I alone in the house (we’re never really alone as we are constantly tripping over 2 Bulldogs and shoving a Manx cat off our laps, but you know what I mean) I find his facial expressions and body language fun, hilarious and heart-warming.  

Whether he is sitting there either leaning forward with an ear-to-ear grin, or guffawing in a low rumbly belly laugh that has the windows vibrating, I can be found sitting on the other side of him smiling broadly at his joy. 

I've noted, no matter how scared I am, worried I am, or how bad I feel, one snort of derision or clatter laughter at something from Left Brain can make it all better.

When Left Brain is truly tickled, he leans very far forward, almost doubled over and lets out a bark of laughter that often startles the animals and perks me up a fair bit. 

Long car trips often find him laughing at me.  I will admit I try hard to bring that laughter about.  He thinks I am a savant when it comes to knowing song lyrics, but what I love most to do is change the lyrics around to suit my needs or thoughts at the moment.  Often these make his cheeks turn pink.  He says that it is not due to embarrassment, but more to do with the fact that his girl (me) can really come up with some interesting lyrics.

The last two days has found me watching him slide into a sadness that breaks my heart to see and causes me stress physically.  I am bound and determined not to let this be a cycle for us.  Just today he called to tell me he didn’t want to go to a Tiger’s Baseball Game we were gifted with tickets for as he was rejected for another position. 

You see, my laughing, smiling boy of a man has been looking for work too long, too hard and getting no help or jobs or … anything.  Once you have been a good provider and circumstance takes that from you, it is a slippery slope down to depression.

I have begun to not ask God to give Left Brain work, but spend time thanking Him for the work He will give him.  It is the desire of my heart, it is a need, and I know God will provide.  In the meantime, I will continue to live for the moments that the thoughts about finding work slow for him OR he gets a job and I can sit and watch with joy in my heart as he hoots with laughter, leans forward and rumbles with joy.  It is the stuff my happiness is made of.

So tonight I’m going to go walking with my boy who’s heart was meant to be light, to be filled with music, silliness and orneriness…I’m going to tease him, flirt outrageously with him and make up silly songs, I’m going to come in and watch utter nonsense on the television with him and know that he’s in there, buried beneath burden and worry…and wait.  He'll come back.  He was made for laughter and love.  I was made to enjoy it and him.