Recently our son has been laughing. He’s been laughing and laughing and laughing. I don’t know if he just saw a different side of his parents (and himself) when everyone dressed up for halloween, but he’s been giggling his way through life these past few weeks. It’s not as if he didn’t laugh before. He has always laughed. He’s a happy child. But something about the past couple of weeks has made him just giggle uncontrollably for extended periods of time. While I can’t be completely certain as to the reason I have noticed a common link during these moments of absolute joy: Mom and Dad.
Yep: Mom and Dad. It seems that during these moments of absolute happiness our son is always in the presence of both Mom and Dad. It’s not that he doesn’t have fun or laugh when he’s only with one of us, but there is something that kicks in when Mom and Dad are both there with him. It also seems to happen when Mom and Dad are both in a playful mood themselves. When we’re laughing while cooking or cleaning or kicking a ball our son is instantaneously happier about life. He gets very excited, starts dancing, wants to be picked up to be nearer both of us, and this becomes the ripe moment for laughter and joy.
Our son smiles brightly, all of our faces are near one another, and something as simple as a widened eye or a larger smile could set him off into uncontrollable laughter. Sometimes we’re having so much fun that we tickle him or he starts shaking his head wildly while grabbing our faces in a fit of joy. Sometimes he sets us off into uncontrollable fits of laughter and our laughing sets him off too. Whatever the cause or the reason I know this: family is important. Our time spent together is important. Something about all of us being together, in one place and at one time, is important. Hopefully we can guard and protect that time now and in the future.