{free photo editing from picnik.com}
The average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day, while the average adult laughs 17 times per day.
We don’t stop laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop laughing.
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Some questions for further reflection. Please feel free to respond here, on your blog, in your journal, or simply hold them in your heart.
When is the last time you laughed with your full body and soul?
When is the last time you did something for yourself simply because it brings you joy?
What things do you do to stay connected to your joyful inner child?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a quote similar to this one on our refrigerator next to pictures of our children in various states of giggling! Thank you for sharing these thoughtful questions. They definitely make me think!
Thanks for sharing the photo editing site, I kept wondering how people were writing sweet words over their pictures! My husband said he was concerned that I was jumping to work every morning after my shower. I had to tell him my secret – it was tea and favorite blog time! I just bought a new journal because I have been really skipping out on the writing lately so, now I have a pretty new one and will start with your laugher questions today! Thanks for those!
Oh I am a regular laugher – especially when I’m with my mum – but the last time we really split our sides laughing, had tears pouring down our faces, and had to cross our legs real tight was when we were putting an old bicycle on the car roof bike rack whilst hard rubbish thrifting. We were in hysterics and laughed for the rest of the afternoon. The last time I did something because it brings me joy – today, I helped a very pregnant young woman walk a block to the antenatal clinic when she was in terrible pain and distressed – whilst this may sound selfish, it gave me such joy to be in the right place at the right time to help her. I skipped home after it. To stay connected to my inner child, I read picture books with my daughter, we make up silly songs together and sing them together in the car, and we play. Being with Abby makes me mindful of the simple pleasures that can be found.
The last time I laughed hard was at my brother’s birthday party (40th!) I found myself at one point sitting amongst a bunch of the men who had come for the party. They were smoking cigars and pretending they could manage hard liquor and joking. They acted as if they were not aware of a woman in their midst while they had the most outrageous, bawdy, raucous conversations. I laughed so hard and found out that even at my age (41) I could learn a thing or two about men. It was a riot and just the kind of brotherhood I needed to be around.
As for my inner child, I had a therapist that introduced me to parts work and you have no idea how healing it is to acknowledge your inner child. I keep mine happy through art and lots of compassionate curiosity.
my husband is quite good at making me laugh. I love this about him.
We are a family of ‘laughers’ through good times and the not so good, laughter certainly is the best form of medicine. I also find it really good to be able to laugh at yourself! How thoughtful of you to pose this question! The statistic is a sad one… I think there is so much to have concern over and hardship over in life we have adopted a family motto a while back ‘be here now’ and ‘be in this moment’ that truly brings life into context and helps in finding the bright spots and joy in life. I think many think of life in stages, especially in regards to children, the baby stage, toddler stage school age and then when ‘real life’ comes into play when they become adults. There is some meaning to these stages of course but I think in the bigger picture we should look at our lives NOW wether old or young our life is now we should not wait to live it! Thank you for giving these thoughts to think about you are so giving in this way!
It wasn’t that long ago that I REALLY laughed, about something immature and stupid with my husband. We were laughing like twelve year olds. It was the best. As we get older, and life gets in the way, we lose some of that innocence, that child-like abandon. I think this is the gift our children give us- the chance to lose ourselves in moments of sheer fun and silliness. My toddler makes me laugh all the time and gosh, it feels good.