There once was a girl who wasn't afraid to laugh. From the day she was born she found joy and pleasure in the small things of life. When she was so full of joy that she couldn't help but let out a uproarious laugh her laughter would be heard all through out her town. It would start from the tip of her toes and build up to the tip of the last strand of her hair until her body shook with the funnies. She laughed so loudly and she laughed so often that she had the strongest funny bone in all the world (Check the World Records).
This little girl was loved by everyone in town, but she was always scolded for laughing. Men, women, children and even the town dogs frowned at her when she flashed the brightest smile followed by a fit of the giggles.
One day Old Miss Traditional from next door wiggled her finger in the girl's face. She said, "Now, now little one. You must understand. You will be a lady one day and ladies cannot laugh like you do."
The girl smiles and replied, "But I am happy. Aren't you suppose to smile and laugh when you are happy?"
Old Miss Traditional nodded. "Why, yes, of course, silly girl. But just a little."
"Just a little?"
The woman smiled and pinched her finger together, "Just a little."
"But what if I'm more than a little happy?" The girl was so confused.
"Then, you hold back," said Miss Old Traditional, "you only let a little of your happiness out."
The girl pushed her brows together in thought. "Well, then...what do I do with the rest of it? Where do I put it?"
"Oh, that doesn't matter," said Miss Old Traditional, "as long as you don't let it all out. You're going to be a proper lady some day so you might as well start acting like it. You can't be too much or over the top. The boys will never like you if you are and then, you'll never get married." Her voice held a very ominous tone.
The girl shook her head, "But if I don't let all my happiness out it will all build up until I explode! And then I'll be sad."
Old Miss Traditional shook her head with disapproval, "That imagination of yours needs to be put down, as well. I'll have to speak to your parents."
So, Miss Old Traditional spoke to girl's parents. She warned of the consequences of laughing, particularly for girls. She spoke about girls needing to be reserved as to not frighten away boys. She warned that girls who laughed did not get married. And girls who did not get married would not have babies (unless they were rift raft). And if they didn't have babies they would never feel complete because it was a simple fact that every woman wanted to have children. Unless, they were selfish, of course.
The girl's parents were skeptical at first, but Miss Old Traditional was the oldest member of the town and therefore the wisest. So, the girl's parent's agreed they would stop her from laughing. Later that night they approached their daughter and explained the situation.
"We're doing this for your own good, Sweety," said the Mother.
"We just want you to be happy," said the Father.
"And the only way to do that is to get married and have kids like me," said her Mother. "But if you keep laughing you'll never do any of those things."
"The sight of an open mouth releasing high pitched giggles is not appealing to men," said her Father.
The girl looked at them curiously. "But I am happy. I am happy right now."
They smiled and shook their head at her innocence.
"Yes, now you are, my Dear, but you have to think of your long term goals: marriage and children."
"But how will I know those things will make me happy? I know laughing makes me happy so, shouldn't I do that?"
They shook their heads.
"Marriage and children are the true joys of happiness for any girl. Nothing else can make us happier," said her Mother.
The girl looked at her father, "Well, then what makes men happy? Can they laugh?"
He smiled, "Well, yes, we can laugh. Boys and girls are different so, different rules apply."
"Well, what makes boys happy?" asked the girl.
"Oh, the usual. Being the best at sports, being the family bread winner, having a son who is an exact replica of you, though girls aren't so bad and coming home to a nice
quiet family."
"Now, it's getting late. Off to bed with you," said her Mother.
The girl was tucked in and kissed good night, but she could not sleep. She tossed and turned all night, unable to find comfort in her parents words. She had to stop laughing? That was like asking to stop breathing! Laughing was her thing. It was what she did. And more importantly it made her happy. Something was not right. Something was just not right. So, the next morning when the family got up for breakfast and her father slipped on the kitchen rug, the girl laughed until her sides hurt. Her parents, who were shocked, scolded her and reminded her of their conversation the previous night. The girl shook her head, crossed her arms and replied, "Laughing makes me happy so, how can it be bad? I will keep on laughing until it makes me feel sad."
"What about marriage and children?" her parents asked.
She shook her head and shrugged, "I don't care about those things right now, anyway."
And the girl continued to laugh. And the older she got the more joy she found in life. When she became of "marrying age" her parents began to ask her if she felt sad and lonely yet because she had not found her "other half.".
She would always reply, "No, not yet, but here's to next year! Good luck, guys!"
Eventually, all the girls in the town stopped laughing except for her. They got married, had kids and then, grandkids, but the laughing girl kept laughing. She laughed her way through high school, college and all the way to the top of her career. And when her old female friends saw her walking around they would always ask the same question. "Why aren't you afraid to laugh? Why aren't you afraid to be lonely? To be incomplete? Where do you get all your courage from?"
The girl would smile at them and politely say, "Well, its simple. It's really simple. I wasn't the one who was afraid of laughing, being lonely or incomplete. You all were." And the girl who wasn't afraid to laugh never stopped laughing.
Your Turn: Any feedback is welcome. :)
I remember being a preteen. I was standing in the doorway with my back to my exit while my "family" stared down at me. In many ways, many times, they were the naysayers in my life. I don't even know if they realized what they were doing, but being a kid I took their words and their actions to heart. If they doubted me then, it only made sense that I would doubt myself. I wish I knew then, that they were only the first in a long line of people who would doubt me. In the end though none of these people really mattered. In the end there was only one person who doubted me that mattered. And that person was me.
Most importantly, remember to never let the naysayers become the "I told you so" people. Use their doubts as your motivation. Use it as your fuel because there will be nothing sweeter than looking back at them and saying "I win."
