i hid in the closet because i didn't want to miss one thing. i had searched the house for the best undiscoverable place; the downstairs hall closet won. it was there that i could hear the church board members who had been rewarded with mom's homemade pies after they had met for a long evening of discussing plans to build the new church. now it was time to kick back, relax, and... laugh. i enjoyed every moment.
i blinked. and there before me were my parents with a look of relief and aggravation. as the story was told, after the crowd went home, my parents made the rounds as they did each evening. i was not in my bed. i was not hidden behind the family room couch. i was not under any bed. but cramped up in the closet, sound asleep was their son. i don't remember what happened next, but i am sure it was worth the fun i had experienced.
most of us, like that little boy, find laughter compelling as it is contagious. we want to get in on the fun. laughing takes us away from ourselves and into temporary state of joy. and shall i mention that laughing can be uncontrollable? try stopping laughing at church, at a funeral, or at any solemn occasion when something happens to flip that switch. in fact, trying to stop makes it worse as it does when others have had their switched flipped for the same reason.
laughter makes us feel human. whether we are anxious, sad, happy, angry, content, or insecure, we have that certain sensation that starts in our stomach and quickly ends in our mouths as laughter, our eyes twinkling and our faces red. we have joined others in that reflexive act that can leave us doubled over, catching our breath, and holding our sides.
like that little boy, we may just want to be where the laughing is. it's fun to be around it. we may not get the meaning of the joke, but we get the meaning of laughter. for a moment, we are invited to forget what's bugging us, to quite the anxiety, or to break the cycle of sadness... and laugh.
i am guessing that little boy didn't want to go to bed. probably, he didn't want to miss anything. instead, he knew the voices, he was familiar with their laughs, and he wanted to be with them. and in that comfortable atmosphere, he fell asleep content with the world.
in this time of high stress and anxiety, donna and i have found ways an reasons to laugh. we act like silly kids, tell jokes, or relate a funny story, with the sole purpose of laughing. we have invited people overwho like us enjoy laughing and goofing off. during these days, we have to laugh. we have to find ways to step out of the stress and enjoy life.
oh, one more thing. i do remember what happened. mom and dad told me not to hide like that again and told me to go to bed, swifty smacking on my butt. and as i climbed the steps, i could hear two people snickering at what just happened, relieved that i was safe and amused that i had done, once again, a stephen thing.
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