haha. TeeHee. BAAAAHAHAHAHA!

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE to laugh. Before Facebook got all weird laughing was listed in one of my interests...you know right there along with Jesus, singing, smiling, cleaning, chewing gum, playing volleyball, and roasted salsa from HEB. That proves how much I love to laugh! Laughter comes in many forms of emotions: loud, proud, cynical, sarcastic, embarrassed, paining, pitiful, and even silent. There are MANY more ways to describe our feelings as we suddenly burst into noise or convulse with joy.

I have really never heard so many comments about my laugh as I have recently. On a recent trip to Australia for work, one of my co-workers who lives there said something interesting during our goodbyes...

"LeeAnn, I'm going to miss your laugh! It's okay if you call me at work and leave a voicemail of just your laugh! It makes me so happy!"

My initial reaction was that I was creeped out by this person I had only known for 3 weeks, yet spent every day with. And now, what do I choose to do? Yep, that's right. I just laugh!

Since this instance multiple people at work have said they enjoy hearing my laugh from around the corner because they know I'm enjoying myself. My closest friends have said they enjoy a little chuckle just because I'm giggling along. And strangers have said they were curious to know what was so fun because I was so joyfully cracking up. This is all just so fun to me! I know that sometimes my laugh can be more of a cackle, so I realize that there are those who feel laughing is annoying, obnoxious, and inconsiderately disturbing. My hope is that these folks will recognize the true innocent pleasure and joy involved in a good hefty chuckle. And enjoy one themselves! To those that keep me laughing, I thank you for allowing me to share in your joy.

"I love smiling! Smiling's my favorite!" -Elf

"A laugh is a smile that bursts." -Mary H. Waldrip

"With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die." -Abraham Lincoln

"A hearty laugh is one good dry cleaning, while a good cry is a wet wash." -Puzant Kevork Thomajan

"Perhaps I know why it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter." -Friedrich Nietzschke

"Laugh as much as you can breathe, and love as long as you can live." -Anon

"The human race has one really effective weapon. And that is laughter." -Mark Twain