Laughing Practice

He’s a happy guy., originally uploaded by bburbank.

Tonight Jhonen felt like laughing. He gets into this mood where something, I never can tell what, will strike him as hilarious. And then he just wants to laugh, like it’s a new skill he’s discovered and he wants to practice it, to perfect it. I love his laughter. The gut giggle that starts low and rumbling like a geyser about to blow. Then, when it does, it shoots up sprays of the happiest surprised squeals like even he didn’t know he could laugh that high. What’s most pleasing about his laughter eruptions are that they are repeatable. Most adults could die happy after laughter like this. These belly laughs happen about once a decade past the age of ten. And here is this six month old experiencing the greatest glee again and again, with every pop of my grinning head over the side of his changing table and shriek of “Peek a boo!” I don’t know what’s better - the laughter itself or that wonderful split second before he begins when his eyes shoot open and I can actually watch his mind register amusement mixed with surprise. The smallest bit of time when we both excitedly prepare for the glorious cleansing mist of pure bubbling laughter to shower over us until we’re soaked through