Laughter on the Road

Laughter plus fun equals happiness…

When have I laughed the most? Kids laugh all the time. As a first-grade teacher, it was hard to rein in their laughter. It bubbled up during reading time, music class, and recess. As a teacher, I had to hold their laughter to a minimum, which was a hard job. Sadly, it wasn’t difficult by the end of my career.

But back to me and happiness… The first thing that comes to mind is my trip to Ireland with my sister Michelle. We purposefully rented a small manual transmission car for our adventure. Both of us wanted to drive on the “wrong” side of the road, so we paid extra insurance to both be able to drive. Laughing all the way, we drove along the highways and byways. Sitting at intersections, we would repeat the mantra “turn left, stay left,” or “turn right, stay left” over and over. Each time, it became funnier. We drove with the windows down and marveled at the beautiful old homes by the road’s edge. We slowed down to talk to roaming cows. When we got lost, we both got out of the car and calmly enjoyed the rural scenery while waiting for someone–anyone–to rescue us. Someone actually drove up the same road and stopped to ask if we needed help. We said we were lost, and they told us how to get to our B&B by a back road.

On the way back to the airport, our goal was to drop off the car with as little gas as possible. That meant I was hysterical all the way back to Dublin, worried we wouldn’t make it to the next exit to get a few liters. Michelle was chillin’ and laughing at me the whole time. Her laughter relieved my tension, knowing my partner in crime wasn’t worried about puttering to a halt on a random highway in Ireland and missing our flight. If she was chilled, why was I carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders? Who died and made me the boss of this trip?

We enjoyed this adventure in October 2016, along with Mom and Melanie. It still makes me smile when I think of it.

And that’s the thing about happiness – it’s found in unexpected moments, wrapped in laughter, and shared with loved ones. Whether navigating foreign roads or enjoying children’s joy, happiness isn’t about grand achievements but embracing the journey and finding joy in simple things. Here’s to more laughter, adventures, and moments that make us smile long after they’ve passed.

After all,  fun plus laughter equals happiness – and that’s a formula worth living by.

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