Embrace the power of laughter

“I laughed so hard my water broke . . . and I’m not even pregnant.”
A story goes with those words—words I recently found inside a card at a card shop, but not just any card shop. Let me explain.
Le Tablier Blanc was a card shop on College Street in Toronto. My friend, Allison, and I were out for lunch, having a catch-up as old friends do, never running out of stories to share and making plans for future stories.
On our walk back, we popped into Le Tablier Blanc a few blocks from Allison’s home.
“We are closing,” the proprietor said. Not closing as in the end of the business day, but the end of business literally.
Still, he welcomed us in and I felt a jab in my heart that someone had to close down their dream; had to re-start their plans for the future.
We started reading cards and before many seconds had passed, the laughter started. I couldn’t stop. Every card was funnier than the previous one, and I laughed until I could hardly get my breath.
I tried to stop so as not to disturb other shoppers, but they began laughing along with me as we are inclined to do, without invitation or purpose, when we encounter someone in the throes of uncontrollable levity.
I bought a few cards and thanked the man behind the counter for not throwing me out of his establishment for disturbing the peace, and also thanked him for allowing me such a delicious adventure with laughter—for replenishing my stores of endorphins.
As I turned to leave, he dashed down the basement and returned with a stack of about 40 cards that he stuffed into a bag for me and handed it to me with a big smile on his face.
“So you can keep laughing for the rest of the day,” he said.
I was stunned by his generous kindness, stopped in my tracks, before I threw my arms around him, thanking him and wishing him well. Then I most certainly did laugh for the rest of the day.
Some of the cards he gave me were just too funny to describe and some of them I know of no one I could send them to, but they all were beyond funny. And when I was done laughing, which, of course, one should never be done doing completely, I felt physically better.
It always surprises me what a good laugh can do to all parts of me, inside and out. I visualized germs running for cover as the silly and happy surged through my body boosting my immune system.
Laughter relieves stress and tension, and allows muscles to relax for 45 minutes after. I was a noddle walking home—the human living version of Play-Doh.
Maybe there should be a card shop on every corner. Maybe we should have laughing stations throughout the travels in our day so we can greet our problems and challenges with new energy.
Maybe I could start a franchise and laugh my way to personal wealth.
Nah. I’ll just keep laughing.
wendistewart@live.ca