Laughter

I have been mulling over just how much time I spend laughing with those whom I hold dear. Whether it’s during book club, in the midst of a holiday dinner, while watching a movie, taking a drive, or just hanging out….laughter just seems to insert itself into the mix. And I love it. There is an oft quoted verse that states, “A merry heart does good like a medicine” (Prov 17:22). And it’s true. I deeply value the laughter shared between my loved ones.

I have realized that we are not shallow or uniformed or insensitive about the heaviness that is also in the world. But we can look at all of that through the lens and from the foundation of our shared faith and values. Beneath the laughter, there is something else: community and love. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these people with whom I laugh, are also the ones with whom I can cry. They will be there. They’ll band together and give a different kind of support. (And of course, we’ll find a way to laugh about it later. *wink*)

So…laughter…something for which I am deeply grateful for during this season of remembering what makes family so fantastic -- both the family we were born into, and the family we choose.