High on Happiness

Posts Tagged ‘laughter’

.

One midnight, somewhere near the first full day of spring, the Joy Giant goes walking.

He’s huge, old J.G.   Taller than the tallest trees.  And his feet are enormous.

He’s invisible to humans.  But dogs can see him, mainly because their hearts are filled with the same kind of happiness as his.  And children can see him, too; but only in their dreams, and he never scares them.

Sometimes he pauses outside the homes where dogs or children live, stoops down and looks in their windows, softly chuckling.

He walks all over the place, just to celebrate spring.  You can tell when he’s passed by.  Yellow forsythia bloom in his tracks, echoing his laughter.

Now the tulips come, bursting through the soil, leaping like dolphins into the light, their leather leaves curled around the  tender treasures within their folds.

I run a fingertip over the cool skin of the largest one, marveling at its colors, and feel the electric joy of its song shooting up to my brain.  It erupts from my mouth as laughter.

Imagine coming into the world with nothing but an urge to unfold.  Imagine wanting nothing but to spread yourself before the sky.

And to think that they have no idea at all how beautiful they are, how powerfully they touch our lives!

Whatever you have become, wherever you may be, I send you wishes, my child, on the wind.

May your days be filled with discovery and gladness.  May you walk with fine companions down smooth and sunlit roads.

May your heart be filled with hope and celebration.  May your laughter fill the skies.

May you find comfort for any pain, healing for any hurt, peace for any turmoil that may ruffle your soul.

May you continue to be playful and kind, and to brighten the spirits of all who surround you.

May you revel in adventure, and rest on sandy shores beneath a setting sun.

May beauty surround you; may goodness and truth be yours.

May you know that you will live in my heart forever, and will be forever loved.

Because you kept going when going was rough, even though your chances seemed small,

Because you held onto hope when nothing but hope remained,

Because you gave your best, even when you doubted its worth,

Because you kept trying, even when no one believed in you,

Because you shared your laughter out of love, and your songs for the simple joy of singing,

Because you felt the Great Yes beating in your heart, even in the darkness,

Because the world needed you, more than you’ll ever know,

Because your beauty and valor made the world a better place,

Now yours is the triumph, and yours is the crown.

Be glad, and lift up your arms in joy.

For no other reason than an affinity of spirit, they’re drawn to us, hearts and hands open, wanting nothing but to walk a stretch of the journey by our sides.  And yet, what riches they bring: Comfort, encouragement, understanding, a belief in our worth.

You would think that was enough.  But it goes on.  Friends pull laughter from their pockets and long strands of honesty from their sleeves.  They have mirrors in their bags that reflect our worlds from whole new perspectives.  They keep our secrets under their hats and carry handkerchiefs scented with pardon.

Friends sit by our sides when we’re hurting and fly streamers when we’re glad.  They sing our successes and think our failures are nothing at all.  They share their bread and stories.  They find flashlights in the dark.  They’re not afraid to walk with us through the hard and scary places, and even if they are, they walk with us anyway.

All this, for no other reason than an affinity of spirit.  Makes you think that the guy who wrote this play must have had a big heart of his own.

At the end of the day when the rush and tumble stills and your thoughts unwind the hours, let them drift to the places where kindness spilled its light, where laughter broke through.  Let them dwell on the moments when you connected with someone, heart to heart.

Watch from way up high.  See how touching your ordinary moments were, how satisfying your accomplishments, even of small things.  Notice how skillfully you performed all those little acts you take so easily for granted.  And rest a bit in the happiness of it all.

Dip into the pleasures and delights and savor their sweetness and spice all over again—the melodies, the rhythms, the motion, the colors, the fragrances and textures and tastes.  Appreciate the richness and variety you encountered, even when you weren’t really paying attention.  See how the memory remains even so.

Let the glow of forgiveness and compassion bathe you, enveloping you in its freeing warmth.  Let it wash over all the acts you would undo, and those committed by others that piqued your irritation or ire, and let them dissolve in its waters and be healed.

Then rest, with a heart glad and free, and dream sweet dreams.  Dream sweet dreams.

Lean in its direction; it will meet you more than half way.  A slight tilt is enough to beckon it.  One little thought, one little impulse of the heart, one little turning in its direction is all it takes.

Could I?
What if?

Don’t worry.  It’s not like some giant bird that will come and snatch you away.  No.  It tiptoes in, the way you might tiptoe into the room of a sleeping baby, the way that dawn seeps into the sky.

It warms you slowly and lifts you into its light as if you were made of butterfly wings, your cares falling away like petals in its gentle laughter.

Go ahead.  Give it a try.  Just lean a little bit in its direction.

The water drops were starting to get bored, just laying there on these stones, melting and freezing, melting and freezing, over and over again.  “I wish the weather would make up its mind,” one of them groused.

The others might have joined in the chorus, except for the wave of laughter that suddenly welled up from the adjoining puddle.

“Hey!” one of the drops from the first puddle shouted, “What’s going on over there?”

His question was nearly drowned out by more shrieks of laughter.  But then a drop from the second puddle slid near the edge and chortled, “We’re making cartoons!”

Catching his breath, he told them that his fellow drops had discovered that the ones who weren’t totally frozen on the surface could move around a little, and if they piled up in little layers, they could make shapes.

Now the whole gang was caught up in the game, he said. They had turned their whole puddle into a sketch pad and they were taking turns guessing what each other’s doodles were.  It was a hoot!

Pretty soon the drops in the first puddle were piling themselves up in squiggles and laughing uproariously themselves.  Mix a little wiggle with some imagination, and you can whip up a batch of fun just about anywhere.

When it comes to adding some light to your days, few things have the power of a pal.  You know, the kind who has spent a heap of days with you, seen you in all your moods and loves you anyway.

Pals know the real of you, beyond all the faces you wear.  They know when to move in close, to hold you up, to speak hard truths.

They know when to give you room. They back you with their faith and trust when you step out in new directions.

Pals bathe you in their laughter, delight in your stories, applaud your triumphs, and celebrate your moments of joy.

And they’re there for you in the hard times, too, their words full of encouragement, their hearts full of understanding.  They remind you of your strengths and slip you little handfuls of courage to get you through.

They dust you off when you fall, and laugh with you while you sort out your lessons, and never stop cheering for you, no matter what.

What greater ease, what more joyous comfort does life offer?  Whatever the fates may bring, when you’re blessed with a worthy companion, you’re blessed indeed.

.

Don’t forget to pack some mirth as you dive into these days of joy.  Tuck it like wafers into your pockets, slip handfuls to your uncles as they walk in the door.

Laughter’s what makes it all sparkle, you know.  Smiles are what give it the shine.

Keep some whimsy on hand. Pass it out like fine chocolates.  Practice your chuckle ‘til its easy and free.  Be the party; be the star.  Stream your love light all around.

Let your heart’s delight peal like bells.  Let your joy shimmer like snow.

Go around whistling “Fa-la-la-la-la.”  Give your “Ho-Ho-Ho” full play.  Let them all look into your eyes and see that you think they’re just the cat’s pajamas.