30 Thankful Days - Day 7

Perhaps you've been thinking about how Thanksgiving is right around the corner and begun to plan your menu (I know my mom and I have started!) - but let's take a minute to think about what we're giving thanks for first!  Join me at my friend Dawn's blog to share the things for which we're thankful.

Thankful Thing #7:

Laughter.

I just had a former student come into my room for a few minutes to chat.  Within moments we were laughing hysterically and, perhaps, so loudly that the class next door could hear us.  It reminded me that laughter is indeed something to be thankful for.

Did you know that your body can't tell the difference between real laughter and fake laughter?  So if you're ever in need of a little mood-boost, start laughing.  Your body will get the endorphins either way.  Plus, I've found that usually, you start laughing for real, anyway.

I love it when you start laughing at something, then laugh because of your laugh, then laugh because you're laughing about your laugh.  And when you're laughing so hard your face starts to hurt.  And the tears start coming out your eyes.  It's just good for the soul. 

My sister and my husband are usually the two people who can get me going the most....  and really, no one holds a candle to my sister.  She and I can laugh for hours.  More than once (and even recently) we've heard our mom holler up the stairs (or over the phone) "what's so funny???"  because we are just laughing, laughing, laughing.  We laugh at everything together.  And husband, well, he's pretty darn funny... so I can't help but laugh with him, either.

My sister told me a story the other day where she and her first grade class laughed for a good 15 minutes.  Why?  They had no idea.  Some kid started giggling, and then couldn't explain why, and the whole class, including my sister, joined in, and they just laughed.  They'd start to get under control, and then someone would laugh again and the whole class would be off and running.  Instructional value?  None.  But important for the class to do together?  Absolutely.  Laughter brings people together.

The last time I laughed that hard was a few weeks ago at the State Student Council conference, where we heard this speaker.  This video does not even begin to show you how funny this guy is in person, and how much we were all laughing.  I was literally crying, especially when he did the sections on notes parents send to school to excuse their children.  Unlike in this video, it was one after the other, and man, we were all just roaring! 



And, of course, we've all seen this type of video, but who can resist a laughing baby?



Laughter is, plain and simple, a gift to be enjoyed whenever and as often as possible.  I hope you find something to laugh about today, to truly laugh, a deep, belly-shaking, tear-producing, cheek-hurting laugh, and may it be with someone you are glad to spending time with.