The Belly Laugh

Published on Monday, September 3, 2012 by Katherine

When was the last time you laughed until you couldn’t breathe? I mean when you really lost it. Really REALLY lost it. This weekend was my time. My time to blow snot harder than I have since high school.

Why Katherine, what was the SOURCE of this episodic blowout? It must have been something quite humorous, perhaps intellectual with a bit of British humor on top?

UGH.

NAHHHHH. I’m ashamed to tell you what caused my unexpected meltdown. I am actually completely and utterly ashamed.

But you know me. I’m gonna tell you. It… was……..

THE THREE STOOGES.

SIGH.

Yes. I’m a girl, last time I checked. But a scene in the new Three Stooges movie made me laugh so hard I nearly stopped breathing.

If you haven’t seen the movie, I can’t even begin to describe the comedy bit. But if you’ve seen it you know it well. The scene with the full cast and turtling. The TNT. The cast flying up in the air. When that cast lifted off the bed with a quiet muffled explosion sound, I lost it. L-O-S-T –I-T.

Think back to your last satisfying belly laugh. That was me, times about a billion trillion. I started to laugh. And then belly laugh. And then I looked over and saw my son giving me “the look.” (You know, the Mom You Are So Stupid look) Which made me laugh harder. And then I couldn’t breathe and I made a seal sound. And my son imitated me. Which sent me in to tears. Wheezing. Gasping. Drooling. Praying for air.

And then I fell on the floor.

And I crawled away from the couch and around the corner, wheezing, coughing, crying and laughing hysterically. I could not breathe. I COULD NOT BREATHE!

On my hands and knees, I placed my head in the corner and concentrated. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. And I began to breathe. Enough that I was able to crawl back to the couch and pull myself up to my original “Pre-Turtling-Cast-Scene” position. I turned to my mom and my son and saw them staring at me with wide eyes. And it started all over again.

The pain of hysterical belly laughing. And the joy. And the complete wash of every care and worry that held over you during the day. It is oh so good. And far to uncommon in my life. Here is to more belly laughing.

Think back. When was the last time you completely lost it? What made you laugh? I can’t wait to hear!