Easter Laughter

As this holiday weekend is coming to an end, I felt it would be a good time to reflect on all the good times I've had, along with the laughs.  I condensed my weekend into the top 3 laugh worthy moments with my family.  

3. On Friday night, my family went to the Sweet Sixteen Regional Tournament in Arlington. During the Florida vs. FGCU game, a twenty something woman was standing in the front row while everyone else around her was sitting down.  My family was about 3 rows behind her, and could not see a any of the action.  It was when my 9 year old cousin complained that my aunt decided to take action.  My typically quiet aunt walked up and politely asked the woman to sit down (she did have one of the best seats in our section anyway).  The woman replied with a sassy "No" and an eye roll.  The conversation proceeded to turn down a not so nice path, and finally ended with the woman taking her seat.  This type of action was not like my aunt at all, however; I guess the momma bear in her came out.  When she victoriously returned to the family, we couldn't help but let out a chuckle.  This moment led me back to the relief theory. Our family had so much built up pressure and anticipation watching my aunt and this woman's encounter, that we just had to release it through laughter. In addition, a cognitive shift was displayed through my aunt's actions.  I would not have expected my aunt to get so bold and feisty.

2. Throughout the weekend my younger cousin was the originator of much laughter. This little nine year old fireball is a lot to handle.  Not only is she sassy, but she is also a major tomboy.  Ultimately, she is the queen of one liners that make you laugh out loud instantly, and that is what we did much of this weekend. With children, you can never predict what they are going to say or do next.  They contain no filter in their speech, nor do they think about the consequences of their words.  My cousin Grace is not an exception.  While I can't recall one particular moment in which she had the whole family laughing, there were several throughout our time together.  These instances made me think about the play mode as a whole.  Children are rarely ever serious. Their lives consist of remaining in the play mode, in all different situations.  Grace showed me to appreciate play mode this weekend through all the conversations we had. As they all say, kids say the darnedest things.

1. My family topped the weekend off with a big Easter dinner.  We all sat around a long dining table to share a meal, as well as our lives.  My favorite part of the meal consisted of watching my dad and his brother share their college stories.  Being a college student myself, I found it interesting to hear all about the mistakes they made during the time period I am experiencing.  My dad told us story after story about pranks is Fraternity would make.  One such prank involved them stealing a huge ceramic statue from a local burger place, and putting it right in the middle of the school's commons. Watching my father and uncle crack up at their shared experiences filled my heart with happiness. 

Family is such a joyful blessing that it is hard not to smile and laugh when you are around them.  While mine might be slightly wacky, I am grateful for their presence in my life and the laughter that they bring.