If you got her going, she couldn't stop. Then anyone within earshot couldn't help but join in. Once after a movie a woman near her in the theater told her she enjoyed my mother's laughter more than she enjoyed the movie. I'm chortling to myself just thinking about it.
I am quite pleased to find myself emulating her from time to time--like during the night last night. Ken had to wake me up from an intense dream. I was gasping trying to speak and he was concerned. Once fully awake I told him about the dream. In it I was trying to yell out "come back" to my dog and the two dogs I was caring for. Someone had left the dog gate across the deck open and they'd escaped into the dark. In the dream I was having a hard time getting the words out. They say you become paralyzed while dreaming. I obviously was in that state and it was causing me to panic in the dream--I had to get those dogs back into my care! But that was only the half of it. Ken had been awake for a few minutes from the sounds I had made earlier. That must have been when, in the dream, I discovered the mouse and then the skunk in the house and all the dogs, including my cat, were chasing them. I remember remarking it was a zoo in my house. I had to prevent the animals from frightening the skunk into spraying its foul odor. This detail was obviously planted in my mind from my last Post. Anyway, while trying to relate all this to Ken I started laughing--uncontrollably. It had seemed so real to me and now it was just ridiculous. Then he told me that just prior to his awakening me he could hear that our dog, Gabriel, who sleeps in a crate in the next room, was also dreaming. When Gabriel dreams his body jerks and he gives off little high-pitched whimpers. I'm sure he was chasing that squirrel he obsesses over and because he, too, is paralyzed is highly frustrated not being able to go after it! As I lay in bed trying to recover from my hysterical laughter, I couldn't help wonder if Gabriel had been aware of my dream. They've done studies about dogs and proven they are sometimes capable of sensing what their masters think. Maybe he was, for real, chasing that skunk in my dream. This sent me into peals of laughter again. Poor Ken couldn't help but join in. So much for a restful night of sleep.
It was only when I awoke early this morning and began thinking about it all that I realized just how good it had felt to lose control like that with my laughter. I interpreted my dream as God showing me how much I still feel I need to be in control of life--like I'd written about in my Soul Painting post: Dreams Part II. Those dogs were on the loose. I was responsible for them--that's not a bad thing--but the panic I felt was.
Father, like in the song "Row Row Row Your Boat", life is but a dream when we realize so much of what we call life is just our thoughts. Whether I am asleep or awake, I want to "lose control" and experience the joy of allowing You to be there for me.
Link to scripture: Philippians 4:4-7
Link to YouTube Laughter Chain: Laughter
What a hoot this is. I needed it too. and my cat bart is hooked to me in that way so much and Parrot Peter too..... and right now I am out of synch with harmony so there is a pacing cat and a screeching parrot.. so much for soaking my feet.
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