I didn’t realize how long it had been since I laughed. I don’t mean a chuckle or a giggle; I’m talking a full out, eye-watering belly laugh. There was an Avengers movie on and I unwillingly caught part of it. Now, I’m glad I did because something Tony Stark said let something loose inside me and I’ve been giggling about it since. It wasn’t even that funny, but it struck both Linnea and I and, well, you know how contagious laughter can be.
Between my illness, the stress of harvest into winter-too-soon, and all the snow, things have been pretty tense around here. It’s been fairly pleasant, and I don’t want to sound like we’ve been miserable, but we haven’t been free, either.
I had more energy yesterday than I’ve had in months, so I worked off and on all day getting one kid moved in with another and doing some long needed organization. In the midst of the shuffling, a solitary Lego guy made his appearance. This sparked something in my 15 year old son, and soon the “Lego bucket” was spread all over my 10-foot dining table (that I had finally gotten cleaned off *sigh*).
I spent the evening loving the sound of my three “littles” playing together. They are 17, 15, and 13, and it’s been years since the Lego bucket was dragged out. Granted, the games teens play and the things they build are far different from what they played and built as children. Combine that fact with them cracking themselves up and you have quite the entertainment.
Another kid was hard studying for today’s college tests, and a fifth hung out doing a variety of catch-up tasks. It was a bright and happy evening, and so badly needed.
I think the idea that “mom is the barometer of the home” bears a lot of weight. I so often don’t realize the effect my own mood has on my family. As much as I hate the saying “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” I think it’s true.
It’s not about keeping mama happy, though. At least I hope that’s not the case here. It’s more about the family taking their cues from the one who is the manager and keeper of the home. If Mom isn’t feeling well, the family feels that, and it drives the atmosphere. If Mom is sad, or angry, or whatever, other members of the family respond in kind.
I think my kids were free to play today because Mom laughed–I mean really laughed. It was the thing none of us knew we were waiting for, and I intend to do it more often.
