You can see them in almost every picture of me. You used to have to look closely but not anymore. They are obvious, even at a quick glance. If I am smiling they are instantly there. When I laugh they come out like a neon sign. They are a direct result of smiling and laughing. Wrinkles, around my eyes. 

I know that I should care. I should probably buy some cream or make some cream and apply it to the skin around my eyes. I should be more mindful of the fact that I smile a ton. I should use an essential oil on my skin. I should look at ways to prevent more wrinkles. 

I am not going to. I am not going to do any of those things. I am going to keep smiling and keep laughing and wear the battle signs of those laughs and smiles proudly. 

I have been asked before why I laugh so much. It was an odd question for me. I guess, because I like life and find it amusing? I wanted to ask back why she didn’t laugh so much, that to me was the better question. I even had a partner who told me that there was a clear difference in the volume of my laughter when we were together. He dimmed my happiness, and he was right. Needless to say, he isn’t a partner of mine anymore. 

Did you read my blog post about how my toenails are a visual cue for self-care? If so, laughing is a cue for me about where I am in life. Any day I find myself getting to noon and not laughing it is a great sign that something in my life needs to be changed. For me, life is meant to be light and happy. I am meant to laugh and giggle. When I find myself not laughing, giggling and smiling then major changes need to happen. 

So, what makes you laugh. Better yet, what steals your laughter? How can you spend more time around what makes you laugh and less time around what steals your laughter?