The Epiphany of Laughing

I hear the compliment, "You have a beautiful smile," a lot. Another phrase that gets coined to me is, "Every time I look at you, you're laughing." 

I had an epiphany tonight- I don't laugh as much as I used to. Not in the same way. There's a lot of things that I still find funny; because life is funny! And it's always better to laugh than cry. Finding the humor in a situation doesn't always make it better, but it sure doesn't make it worse. Life is to hard not to enjoy the laughs in the little things, silly sayings, unfortunate moments, or even embarassing situations. 

Some might attribute my lack of laughter to tough surrounding circumstances lately. But it's not just that. Why do I smile a lot? What is it about me that people label as "bubbly"? I'm convinced it's a trait that I was born with, but it didn't come fully alive until it was fed with Miracle Grow (a.k.a. amazing people who brought it out).  I miss the people that bring out the bubbly, happy-go-lucky, always-laughing SheriLynne. My joy is not dependent on their presence, but they bring out the overall best in me, which makes my spirit bubble constant happiness. 

Happiness is based on circumstances, joy is a state of your heart. Every Christian growth book will tell you that. I don't disagree. But God also gives us the emotion of happiness! Happiness is inappropiate when it's our goal, but not when it's God's momentary gift. In fact, I like to open and enjoy it! 

My girls at work will often tease me, "Is EVERYTHING funny to you?!" or the most frustrating, "You can't even get mad at us without laughing!" So I know that part of me, my joyful spirit, is still there - it just feels suppressed without it's Miracle Grow.