Laughter

On this 6th day of my 30 days of gratitude challenge I am thankful for laughter.  Laughter is the best medicine.  That's a saying right?  I don't know that I'd agree that it's the best medicine, but it's a pretty darn good one.  Laughter will help you through tough times.  Laughter will cheer you up on a sad day.  Laughter is infectious.  Laughter can be one of the purest and most honest emotions.  And there's nothing quite hearing children laughing, now is there?

Being 16 weeks old when he passed, Preston didn't really get a chance to experience laughter.  He did have giggles though, and they were the sweetest sound.  It was this little high pitched yip.  Loved that sound.  Could have listened to it all day.  He would have loved laughing, and he would have laughed so much.  His dad can be so silly...and if you get him laughing enough, his laugh gets out of control and it's so contagious.  I hope you get to laugh and giggle all day wherever you are.

Just about an hour ago we started looking at "fail" signs on the internet after seeing a great one a friend of mine shared on Facebook (thanks Jamie - it made for an evening filled with laughter).  It was on a school bulletin board - "We appreciate our librarian gang prevention meetings" because you know, "librarian gangs are a real problem".  Quite honestly that was one of the best ones that we saw.  Another one which had us laughing showed two doors with signs stating "Do not block" and a heavy wood chest clearly blocking the doors with a sign stating "do not move".  What do I do? I'm so confused? Unblock the door? No can't move the chest!  Maybe you had to be there.

When Crohn's started causing me more and more problems, I would watch Friends a lot.  It was predictably funny, I knew nothing bad was going to happen, and it was just comforting.  I've probably seen every episode over 200 times, and I still laugh every single time I see an episode.  "Could I be wearing any more clothes?"  "You know, like a cow's opinion.  It doesn't matter.  It's moo."  "PIVOT!!!!"  "He's a transponster!!"  Haha, that show was really witty, and I appreciate it's existence so much.  It's become my ritual to put on Friends (and now Big Bang Theory or Modern Family), when I feel ill.  It's also a ritual to fall asleep to it.  I'd stopped watching TV before bed when Preston was alive, but I can't stand the silence anymore.  My mind wanders and I just can't sleep.  The background noise makes it easier.  Hopefully it's not something that stays forever... but in the meantime, it's a comfort.

Tonight, it is Modern Family that's on.  Right now, the episode where Phil has to get the printer to work at Jay's and where Gloria cooks a Columbian meal.  That scene where she has Jay try to scare the chicken from the spirits...Ed O'Neill kills me.  Which reminds me, I still need to watch a Robin Williams' movie marathon which includes Mrs. Doubtfire, and probably Aladdin.  What a great Genie he made.  :)

Laughter has been part of our lives since Brett and I met.  Laughter would have been part of every day in this household with Preston.  He may no longer be present on Earth, but his spirit lives through us, we think of him every day, and all we can do is keep on keeping on.  And sometimes, that means, stopping to laugh.  If  I can, I laugh every day.  By no means does this lessens the emptiness my son has left behind.  It simply reminds me that there are good things in my life.  There are things to be happy about, to smile about, to hope for, to be grateful for.  It certainly isn't a cure-all, or the best medicine, but it's a pretty darn good one.