Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:2-3
If there was anyone who taught me to live in the moment and find humor, I would say that was my grandma. She can’t seem to hold in a good laugh when it’s determined to escape. She has one of those personalities that allows herself to see the humor in situations even if they are at her own expense.
I remember sitting in church one day when she decided she needed a mint. It seemed imperative that she get it immediately instead of waiting until it was a bit less quiet. As if she were undercover on a mission, she reached down and pulled her purse up beside her. I admit that she did that quite sneakily, but that stealth went out the window when she started unzipping it.
I was trying to sneak peaks at her without turning my head, and she knew I was if the grin on her face had anything to say. Instead of getting it over with, it was a drawn-out purse opening. It took about fifteen long seconds for the zipper to go from one end to the other. That was making it worse Grandma, not helping!
I realized the mints were in a container that rattled a bit as she pulled it out of her purse. When she tipped that container over, I’m sure everyone in our small church could here them tumbling around as she got one out. She couldn’t hold it any longer, the laughter floated out, even if she tried to muffle it. Of course, those around her couldn’t quite stifle their chuckles either.
Frankly, I don’t think a trip is worth going on if you can’t find some laughter along the way. My first trip to the ocean was with her. When I was about fourteen, I traveled to Florida with several people, including my grandma. We went to Walt Disney World first, and then we went to the ocean, staying in a hotel right on the beach. We had such grand ideas of getting up early in the morning before there were any crowds and having a beautiful, peaceful walk while feeling the sand between our toes.
It was wonderful listening to the waves rolling in. How amazing it felt to have that salty water wash over our feet while we were walking. This was vacation! Then it happened. Grandma is a wee bit short. The next wave that rolled in came to above her knees and hit her with a little more force than she expected. Down she went onto the sand. We found out quickly that she was just fine as her laughter rang out. It was contagious and soon we were all laughing so hard we could barely catch our breath. Nobody was helping her up because everyone was laughing too much, including her!
Once we finally got ourselves under control, we headed back to the hotel with Grandma sopping wet. She changed clothes and got the brilliant idea to let them dry outside on the balcony. Do you know where I’m going with this? Yes, a wind came in and picked up her unmentionables. They did a dance in the air to the balcony below us. They were still in the process of being dried, but not where they belonged! We had to try to figure out what room it was to retrieve them.
I’m not even sure if she got them back, but I am sure someone got quite a surprise. Do you know that I don’t remember much about actually being at that beach besides the vivid picture of our excitement that morning? That tells me what’s important in life. It’s those memories of laughter and adventures that are what vacations are all about. Not just vacations though, it’s our day-to-day life experiences.
What does it mean to find good humor in a situation? One answer would be to live in the moment, not take yourself too seriously, and to let your laughter ring out, sharing your exuberance with those around you. What it isn’t is laughing at the expense of others.
My grandma learned how precious life is early on. She experienced heartache, loss, and trials, but she still finds humor in situations and doesn’t stifle her laughter. That can brighten any home, visit, or adventure. It isn’t good for us to be stuck in serious situations without finding some humor within them.
I’m sure that after her son died and my grandpa suffered a massive heart attack right before I was born (to just name a couple), there were many reasons why she could’ve been surrounded by a cloud of gloom. My grandpa was given only a short while to live. He showed them! He doubled the time and saw me grow up. Could laughter have helped with that?
I can’t imagine what we would’ve missed out on if she lost her laugh because of her circumstances. No, Grandma and Grandpa embraced the fact it was going to happen to all of us one day and lived their lives to the fullest while still with us.
Would their granddaughter have those releases of laughter during hard times if they didn’t show her the example of giving God glory in the midst of it? Would I have learned how necessary to my health that is? It shows that I can take a break from the hard times because I trust God to hand my cares over to Him. I believe God designed us for laughter. Might I even say that he provides comic relief at times?
I challenge you to find a praise of laughter within you. Let your face light up and joy burst forth! Explode with light as you let go of your worries and live in the moment. If you’re having trouble, put on some music and start dancing. As you “float” by a mirror, that’ll do it!
This one makes me think of trips I had with my grandparents. Memories like this will last forever. Unfortunately, times are different, people are different, but, this makes me remember the good times. Thank you for the memory invoking blog!
My grandparents passed away when I was young. Reading this gives me excitement to be a grandparent when my 5 year old is grown up. My son’s grandparents are “different” from the generation from the 1940’s. I can’t put my finger on it, but they do not seem to have the joy I hear and see from our 80 and 90 year olds out there right now. It’s sad to see how middle older people are mostly unhappy. I hope and pray they find some way to be happy again. Good blog Kellygirlthinks!
I enjoyed this one! You can see the love and admiration that kellygirlthinks has for her grandmother. This type of love is immeasurable and is what grandparents and grandchildren should remember. I hope all grandparents have the opportunity to make these types of memories for their grandchildren. I am 65 years old and am telling my generation to remember that it is about the kids, not our memories. Our job is to give them the memories that makes them smile…..we’ve had our time and it is time for us not to be selfish and to give back! Do not do for ourselves, do for the future. Just like the Covid-19, us 65 and older people need to make sure we are staying in, the younger people are trying for us, but I see so many of my generation running around, and we’re the ones that will be in the hospital. Stop and use our heads!
Made me miss my Grandma. She died 5 years ago this week, but made me smile of all the good memories that we had. My grandma had her top come off in the pool….embarrassing, but so funny now that you remember.
Uma descrição muito doce de um feriado com um avô. Estes dias devem ser apreciados e as pessoas precisam se lembrar de como aproveitar o passado, mas tenha certeza de que estamos prontos para um futuro melhor com memórias mais fantásticas!
Dit is een geweldig vakantieverhaal! Met zo’n verhaal zou je waarschijnlijk een hele reeks verhalen kunnen schrijven met de avonturen van je grootouders en jezelf. Het is geweldig hoe je dit omschreef. Je zou waarschijnlijk een heel boek kunnen schrijven over dit ene avontuur! Je bent een geweldige schrijver!
Cela réchauffe mon âme et me fait penser à de grands moments. Souvenir du passé avec beaucoup de tendresse est merveilleux. Veuillez rédiger un article chaque jour pour ce blog, il donne aux gens quelque chose à regarder, quelque chose à attendre!
더 오래된 세대에 대한 감탄을 보며 많은 즐거움을주는 이야기를하는 것이 좋습니다. 이 블로그를 더 많이 볼 수 있기를 바랍니다.
This makes my day! When I read them, it takes me back to times spent on the Indian Ocean with my grandparents when I would visit them for holiday. It makes me so happy and feel good inside when I get a chance to read.
おじいさんと一緒に読んだところ、冬の寒い京都の夜、温かい味噌汁の温かい思い出と心地よさを味わえます。夕日に目を向けると笑顔が生まれ、いつの日か太陽は沈むが、日の出は次の世代への思い出となる。いつも日の出があるように、私たちは常に彼が言う次世代に思い出を与えなければなりません。
Beeindruckend. Dies ist eine weitere aufregende Geschichte, die vom Autor erzählt wird. Ich habe es sehr genossen! Es macht so viel Spaß, über Familiengeschichten zu lesen. Bitte halten Sie diese kommen, damit wir alle genießen können!
Keine nennenswerten Dinge, die von einem Balkon fliegen? Erstaunliches komödiantisches Schreiben. Es macht so viel Spaß zu lesen und zu sehen, wie die Familie in Ihrem Leben eine so große Rolle gespielt hat. Bitte schreibe so viele davon wie möglich! Darum sollte es im Leben gehen, tolle Erinnerungen und Lachen. Die Leute müssen jetzt lachen können!
Quelle merveilleuse histoire. J’ai vraiment apprécié les histoires inspirantes de l’auteur. J’espère qu’elle continuera à les écrire afin que nous puissions voir où elle va ensuite dans l’aventure. Nous espérons tous!
This is a great one! Instantly put a smile on my face!