Just LAUGH!

LOL! We text it, IM it, email it, and use it to the point of abusing the "Laugh Out Loud" expression. We can insert the little laughing emoticons and show our expression of hilarity. We share when something is genuinely funny enough to evoke a legitimate "laugh out loud" response.

With my admonition from yesterday to grab the kleenex and let the tears roll, there's certainly a time to cry. But there is also a time to laugh.

Of course the depth of the laugh can range from a giggle to cackling. In between are the snorts, the belly laughs and the chuckles.  

You may have overheard one of the thousand times this year when I've said, "If I don't laugh, I'll cry." In all reality, I choose joy. Despite the tears that can come (yes, I admit I've had a few ugly cries recently), it is my response to the out-of-control-circumstance that I can control. Even when I choose joy - despite the pain I may feel - there are moments when you just need a good, hearty laugh.

No, I don't have any deep spiritual meaning for today. Just a simple reminder ... When the tears have dried and the tissues are all balled up, give yourself the freedom to laugh. Laugh at your mistakes. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at jokes. Laugh at life. Let your lungs open up and your belly shake and LAUGH OUT LOUD! Let laughter take over - even if just for a brief moment - and maybe, just maybe there will be a different set of tears streaming down your cheeks! Be blessed today!