In our household, laughter doesn’t happen every day. Our kids get annoyed with each other. They are self-conscious and defensive. What used to provoke giggles now prompts rolled eyes.
Most mornings, William starts to whistle and Penny says, “please stop” in a repeated monotone until I do something—usually glare or yell—to interrupt the cycle.
Or William critiques Penny for chewing with her mouth open or reading out loud or watching something he disapproves of on Instagram.
And then, unpredictably, we take a walk together. And we talk about the summer and school and hiking and the river and somehow they both end up doubled over.
Anne Lamott says laughter is “carbonated holiness.”
Amen to that.
To learn more with Amy Julia:
- Penny’s Gift of Encouragement Is a Gift to Me
- A 3-Day Civil Rights Tour Itinerary for Families
- When I Slammed the Refrigerator Door
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