This is part 2 of my previous post; it’s the other side of the childhood coin. Sure kids cry a lot, but they also laugh a lot… and it is wonderful, isn’t it? There’s nothing like a child’s laughter.
I often think…
Our kids laugh a lot.
Their laughter is glorious, can’t-get-enough-of-it-laughter. Why, just today, the kids were watching Ice Age, giggling uncontrollably at Sid and his antics. I wished I could bottle their contagious, innocent, beautiful laughter and treasure it forever.
At the lunch table today, they were laughing so hard and I had to join in. But, now only a few hours later, I’m wondering, what were we hooting about this time? Shoot. I told myself to savor it, to remember it, but I’ve already forgotten. What was it that inspired the best sound in all the world? Because I find myself in this forgetful predicament too often, I try to jot these things down in a memory book. Then we can look back over it and laugh all over again. As a family, we replay the funny mannerisms, the homemade jokes, and every golden moment of the amazing toddler years when everything a child says is profound and hilarious at the same time. (How do they do that?)
I write as many of these funny moments down so they become our lore, our tradition, our fabric. Laughter is a healing balm in life, a gift from God that helps us to survive.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine…” Proverbs 17:22
Our family-laughter is important to us and it makes us who we are: not making fun of someone we love, but making fun with them.
Years ago, I heard that laughter bonds people together like nothing else. I believe it! Laughter helps us to put our guards down, to stand shaking-shoulder to shaking-shoulder, to smile unreservedly at one another, and to consider ourselves the best of friends.
When a friend of mine was heading off on her honeymoon, she asked me to pray that she and her groom would laugh a lot together. What a request! And how wise to desire something that would disassemble borders, warm coldness, and join the two-become-one deeply and joyfully.
Would you pray that we laugh a lot together?
When our home bubbles over with laughter – and I’m glad to say it often does – we are rich and strong together. The very pillars and foundation of our home are strengthened by our children, who create and share laughter so easily. After all, it’s their mother tongue: they’ve been laughing since before they could speak, or walk, or run.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine…” Proverbs 17:22
As a family, we’ve loved the Kid Snippet videos and have laughed until tears rolled down our cheeks. We’ve loved the classic Smile! Your On Candid Camera videos, like this one. Of course, there are hilarious movies that we’ve enjoyed together like Ice Age, Ice Age 2, and recently Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
This year, I’m building into our family with more laughter.
Here’s how: I’m intentionally bringing it to the dinner table. I have the privilege of enjoying the kids’ shenanigans over lunch, but at dinner time, Daddy’s home and we’re all together. May prayer, food, and laughter bond us together this year, and next year, and the next one after that.
My plan is to pass our family joke book around the table once a week or so. I plan to print out church bulletin bloopers, some elephant jokes – which happen to be my personal favorites – and some classic (and kid-friendly) Jack Handy quotes (also, my cup of tea). We’ll see where this takes us and we will celebrate, welcome, and increase laughter in our home! Cheers!
“A cheerful heart has a continual feast!” Proverbs 15:15
What makes you and your kids laugh? We’d love to know! 🙂
