Laughing with Love

In December of 2017, my Gigi passed away. One thing that has helped me cope with her death is remembering her for the funny, spunky, and kind lady she was before she got sick. I think there comes a time when the sadness passes and you find yourself being able to happily remember somebody for who they were. Laughter is a key component to being happy. I think it is healthy and good to be able to smile, laugh, and happily think back on a loved one.

Laughter brings and holds people together. One thing I remember was talking with my sister and my mom about my Gigi. Somehow, we got talking about how elderly people can still be very active and such. We started laughing about the fact that Gigi was 98 and still would drink a beer with her pizza. It wasn’t like a laugh making fun of the situation but one of those laughs that makes you feel full inside. I know that may not make sense but it was one of those situations where your laughter brings you together and you feel full because you’re remembering somebody in a happy way. One of her last meals was a beer and pizza from the country store, her favorite. Being 98 and able to down a beer or two is great. We all smiled about this and it put us at ease knowing she was happy. This is not something I expect other people to be able to laugh about, but I think many people can relate to feeling this type of way.

Though this is a short story, laughter really brought us together after her death. Being able to laugh about that and remember her without being sad was very relieving. Laughter has been a major element when remembering her. We have so many funny stories and things to say that just bring joy to us even when she may not be here for us to hug or make more memories with. Instead, we are now making more memories, bonding with our family over the stories of who she was and how much we love and miss her.

“Heart Hands” by Skinned Mink is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0