Are You Laughing Enough?

By Karen Best Wright, www.RaisingYourGrandchildren.com

In corresponding with other grandmothers who are raising grandchildren, I have found that some of us do not laugh enough. One grandmother wrote me a while back saying, "I rarely laugh. I don't remember laughing." I can relate to her. I remember telling my husband the same thing when I was really stressed. "I don't laugh anymore."

Fortunately for me the stress has relieved a bit, and I do find myself laughing with the children again. A couple of grandmothers have expressed how much they enjoy listening to their grandchildren laugh. I love listening to my girls laugh, and I know they enjoy it when I am laughing with them.

It is actually helpful to collect pictures, videos, or even just memories of things that make you laugh and focusing on them when the need arrives. I remember one such memorable event, that would have won an award (I have no doubt) if it had been caught on tape. My youngest granddaughter who lives with me (she was 4 at the time) was playing with my 3 year-old grandson who was visiting. They were riding all around the yard in the children's little electric car. Even though my granddaughter was older, she was much smaller. However, she was a pro at driving this car around the yard. I watched as my grandson took his turn. He was new at it and didn't quite have the hang of it.

I watched him drive in circles and then bump into a tree, back up and go in circles again. The two children were laughing so hard, and I was laughing right along with them. They looked like two little old married people with the husband not knowing what he was doing. When I thought of that, I laughed even harder. That was one of the funniest and cutest things I had ever seen. Unfortunately since it was so spontaneous, I did not have my camera ready. Now he knows how to drive the car better, so no more driving in circles and running into trees and bushes.

I need to learn to have my camera ready more often. But just thinking about it gives me pleasure.

Karen Wright, B.S. Community Health Education
http://www.raisingyourgrandchildren.com/
http://www.blogforhealthyliving.com/
http://www.seniorpro.com/

Comments

[Susan Adcox]

You are so right about the human need for laughter. When my family gets together, we enjoy telling funny stories about the things the kids have done ad the funny things they said. Of course, we've heard them all before, but we still laugh! It's also helpful to have some DVDs of movies, comedy acts or TV shows that you think are funny. It's much easier to pop one of these in the DVD player than it is to channel surf for something funny.

[Donne]

Great question, Karen. I just returned from celebrating my 2-year old granddaughter's birthday. She is turning into quite the comic and I encourage her by laughing hysterically at her antics. I was pushing her on the swing and her rain boots went flying in the air. Of course she did it intentionally. I put them back on and she did it again and I laughed again. We made a game out of it and I'm sure she would have liked me to continue beyond the ten times we repeated it.
I smile just thinking about that silly interaction and how great it made both of us feel.
Sometimes I'll see if I can make my granddaughters laugh by just pretending to laugh and get them started too.
Laughter really is good medicine. But it's so much easier when you're not on full-time duty.
Donne
gagasisterhood.com