We have a tendency to make sense of everything that’s happening around us. Almost all of us have forgotten the incredible philosophy of going with the flow. If someone is smiling, we would want to know the reason. If somebody is upset, we would want the reason to be logical. If someone is in love, we would love to know the basis of that love. We don’t just ask the question and listen to the reply, but we would like the answer to meet the checklist of logical response. The society does not accept the vague answer; therefore, we have learned to hide our real emotion to avoid being called a fool or a mad person. I, for one, love the real and baseless emotions. If, for that, somebody regards me insane then so be it.

I have been fortunate enough to have known many individuals who laugh without a care in the world. My mom, my bua (my dad’s sister), a lot of my friends, and my sister are a few of those people. When we are happy, our smile and laugh would let you know it. I have observed that laughter improves a situation many folds. While the physical complexity of the situation might remain the same, our emotional distress lessens, and we get a fresh batch of energy to fight off the troubles.

I have been commuting to and from my office by Metro for a few months now. The commute is not as convenient as I would like it to be. Travelers rarely get a seat and the coaches are overcrowded to the extent of being suffocated. I keep my eyes fixed on my kindle because books are the only companion that I seek at times like these. Books are my princes in shining armors 😉 In these troublesome hours, the sound of a laughter fills me with a lot of hope and energy. One might think that I am exaggerating, but trust me, it’s not an overstatement. Sometimes, a smiling/laughing face is all you need to reduce the traces of fatigue and/or depression.

When I am not well, and I hear people giggling and laughing around me, I can’t tell you how jealous I feel. Those are the moments when I wish for a quick recovery. That sound of someone having fun encourages my body to fight back the disease and leave the bed for good. If laughter is not the cheapest medicine, then I don’t know what is. Like Lord Byron said,

Always laugh when you can, it’s cheap medicine.

Yesterday, I had done two things that make me look dull: 1. Removed kohl/eyeliner 2. Applied plenty of hair oil. My reflection depressed me, so I decided not to look into the mirror. We were watching Toilet – Ek Prem Katha movie. I’ve watched it a million number of times and still find it extremely funny. Anyway, after just a few minutes, I realized my lips needed hydration more than my determination to avoid the mirror so I reached for my lip balm and reluctantly faced the mirror. At that very moment, Akshay said something very funny in the movie, and I laughed. You would not believe the reflection that I was dreading looking at, fascinated me. My face brightened so much and I admired the beauty that a smiling/laughing face holds.

I have heard many people mock someone who laughs a lot. While I detest their lack of acceptance, I pray for them. There is nothing wrong with laughing when you find something funny or when your heart sees/feels something amusing. The problem, I think, arises when we try to hold our emotions from surfacing. I have posted my laughing/smiling pictures and I dare you not to find these contagious; that’s the power of a genuine smile/laughter.

This post is in response to the Friday Reflections prompt: ‘Always laugh when you can. It’s cheap medicine’ – Lord Byron

Check out the posts of the wonderful moderators of Friday Reflections’ community:

https://kohleyedme.com/2018/01/12/withered-rose-fridayreflections/

https://everydaygyaan.com/the-last-time-i-cried/