Now that I have decided to give Jonathan some time, I am at liberty to spend more time elsewhere. I had the pleasure recently to work with my sister Alivia, who was a Sentry of mine before she became a Cupid in her own right. Together we discovered that she has a talent for fostering love through laughter, which is not surprising given her own laughter is bright and frequent. Laughter brings relief from pain and fatigue and makes the burdens of this earth a bit lighter. Once I was thinking of it, I realized that I have seen this in my own charges. Myrtle and Jaquinn spend much of their time together watching old television shows, and their laughter shakes them both, vibrating in the spaces between their bodies. Pamela went over the weekend to see a comedy movie with her friends, and for days now any sight of a particular shade of yellow has made her smile and brightened her mood. Even Jonathan has been known to pull up videos of an old improvisation show to make himself feel better after a stressful day.
Morgan and Brooke especially have needed laughter in their lives. Brooke’s impending departure, closer every day, is nearly always in their thoughts, and it casts a shadow over their happiness. Last night, however, with a bit of prompting from me and from Alivia, who joined me, they turned aside from their usual restaurant in favor of one featuring a comedy show. Neither of us understood all of the things that made the humans laugh, but we didn’t need to—it was for them.
Laughter unites people. To laugh together with another, with a large group of people, even, forges a connection that humans cannot see. We observed it, though, Alivia and I, seeing with her charges and with my own that laughing together brings warmth to the spirit and opens the mind to allow others entrance. When Brooke and Morgan went home together, their sides were sore and their lungs weary, but they walked in a haze of contentment, safe from their worries. It was a joy to see.
I wish you all much laughter to fend off the shadows, for it is a mighty weapon indeed.