😂🤣 laugh until you cry 😂🤣
Earlier this week I found myself doubled over, hardly able to see, tears rolling down my face with laughter. I was on a retreat with a small group of amazing women, and we were playing full out in various improv activities as we prepared for giving our talks.
At different times I was...
Bawling about a celebrity break-up while searching for my "evil twin" who was responsible (nod to the melodrama genre),
Crawling across the floor searching for my "missing button" as I was trying to host a dinner party with no food (team story-telling), and
Building a backyard playset while cooking a holiday meal.
Just to be clear, none of these were actually happening! (Not that I wouldn't be susceptible to trying to build something while cooking a meal. That one does, unfortunately, sound like me.) 😂
In the midst of (and perhaps as a result of) the laughter, silliness, and abandon of self-consciousness, there was depth, meaning, growth, and purpose.
Have you noticed this pattern in your life as well?
Much of my work deals with somber, heartbreaking, and traumatic experiences.
When you think about the conversations, efforts, and activities you engage in related to social justice, you may experience the same.
And yet, one of the places I learned to lighten up and laugh was the boys home I lived and worked in as a "houseparent" when I was 22 years old.
Mind you, this was a home for 6 African-American boys in Detroit, MI. As a recent college grad, I was extremely naive and inexperienced, and nowhere near culturally competent for the job. I moved from my small town to a big city where I knew no one and work was 24 hours most days of the week.
I floundered in isolation, homesickness, and feelings of inadequacy, and the year began with a LOT of tears that had no connection to joy or laughter.
However, as I got to know and love this group of boys, my world changed.
They were certainly not living in this inner-city home (with myself and a couple dedicated, equally young Americorps volunteers overseeing their food, laundry, chauffeuring, social activities, and school work) because their lives had been easy.
And yet, they showed me the immense value of laughter. They laughed easily and often. They joked, they were silly, they sang and danced regularly (not always at the ideal hours!) and at times, of course, they loved a prank. Many of them were also involved in theatre and drama (which was not limited to their times on stage).
They certainly knew pain, hardship, and loss...in more ways than I'd begun to comprehend at that point in my own life.
And, they knew - better than most - how to experience joy and share it with others as well.
This past week was a good reminder of how connecting, influencing, and meaningful laughter can be even in the midst of something really hard.
As you reflect on the presence of laughter in your life…
When was the last time your laughter brought tears to your eyes?
Where do you get to be your silliest self?
How does the experience of joy and laughter help you through the tough times, conversations, and ongoing challenges of showing up for change?
How could bringing more lightheartedness into your work and team experiences strengthen connection, impact, and outcomes for your organization?
There is a lot in life that can bring tears to your eyes. Hopefully, some (or a lot!) of it is laughter.
And, if this is a topic important to you and your organization, please reach out through the contact form on this website for a conversation about when and how I can support you and your team to integrate wellness (including laughter and joy) into your changemaking efforts so that they are more effective and sustainable.
You matter. You make a difference. I'm so thankful you're here.
