My
past couple of weeks have been filled with lunches and get togethers with
friends and babysitting grandchildren. What better way to transition into
spring than to renew these relationships and to catch up with what’s been going
on in their lives since we last saw each other?With my friends, in addition to our activities whether it’s golf, gardening, exercising or yoga; during these get togethers we’ve talked about books, movies and various TV series. We seem to all have a common like for several PBS British television series, whether it’s Downtown Abbey (we can’t wait for the next series but some are new to it so are catching up), Call the Midwives (some of us are going to download the books that the series is based on), Vikings or Mr. Selfridge. My interest in these is probably more natural since I spent a fair amount of time in the UK, and my interest in Mr. Selfridge is very appropriate since I used to shop in Selfridges. Little did I know at the time that the store was started by an American. If you’ve not tuned in to any of these, I’d highly recommend any or all of them. You can catch up on previous seasons on Netflix.
The
thing that stands out the most from these recent get togethers is that it’s as
if we have never spent a few weeks (or months) apart. We pick up exactly where
we left off and we laugh with and empathize with each other. The really great
thing is that we can completely relax and share what’s on our minds and what we
are truly feeling and know that it will be respected and appreciated. It’s our
time together to just enjoy the moment and share interests and activities.
One of the things that I've loved most about these recent gatherings is "sharing laughter" - there's been lots of that! I can't think of anything more relaxing than a really good laugh. It binds you to the other person and you have a shared experience that brings a certain intimacy. I've also read that it releases endorphins, the body's natural feel good chemicals. I can't think of a better, cheaper and "non-chemical" way of feeling good!!
In
Spain, I also experienced a lot of laughter. I shared a week with people who
just love life and love to laugh and it’s so infectious and I thought quite a
lot about this when I returned. Laughter is good for the soul and the body but
I don’t think we in the US do enough of it. We seem to take ourselves far too
seriously. I just felt that the Spaniards were more ready to let their hair
down and laugh.
I’m
off to Mexico for a couple of weeks and I’m going to try and incorporate a lot
of laughter in my days there. Most of the people that I’ve met in Mexico are also
very ready to share a laugh so I’m sure to have a good time and laugh a lot.
To
all those, both family and friends, who have shared time with me recently, I’d
like to dedicate this:
"Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there."
