The Sound We Forgot We Needed

In a world that feels heavy, laughter still heals.

Prefer to listen? Just push play!

There’s something sacred about a belly laugh.
Not just a chuckle—but the kind of laugh that interrupts your breath, makes you bend over, and forget—just for a moment—why you were frowning in the first place.

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When Carnival Comes to Town

This week is Carnival in St. Thomas, where I live.
And like every year, the island splits into camps:

• There are those who clear their calendars to fête with friends...

• Those who stay home—some for relaxation and others are uncomfortable with the crowds, the noise, the costumes, or blurred boundaries

• And those of us somewhere in between—who see the critiques and the beauty.

I’m not here to argue for or against Carnival.
I’m here to talk about what it stirs: a rare, collective pause.
A time when people—Black, brown, rich, broke, young, old—laugh again.
Joy doesn’t need a reason.

And honestly?
Whether you’re here in St. Thomas or anywhere else in the world—
I think we could all use a little more of that right now.

Because in a world heavy with fear, anxiety, and division,
we’ve forgotten the sound we need most:
Laughter.

Photo by Chris Chatham on Unsplash

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Laughter Is Legacy

I come from people who knew how to laugh.

Every year, we gathered to celebrate my great-grandfather, who lived to be 110 years old. We would crowd into his 80-year-old home—my father, my grandfather, my great-aunts and great-uncles, and a boatload of cousins—all with this big, distinctive, unforgettable laugh.

It wasn’t polite.
It wasn’t quiet.
It was a deep-bellied, head-thrown-back, hand-slapping kind of laugh.
A cackle that filled the room, spilled out the windows, stretched across the porch.

Even my great-grandfather—at 100, 105, 109—still laughed.

Long before I ever studied psychology, I witnessed it:
Laughter keeps you alive.

And maybe it even keeps you living longer.

When It’s Easier to Be Disappointed

Recently, I tried something new.
It didn’t go the way I had hoped.
Instead of laughing it off, I felt sad.
I sat in that disappointment a little longer than I needed to.

Later, I wondered: What if I had just made it funny?
What if I had lightened the moment instead of locking into it?

Because sometimes,
The difference between sadness and strength
Is a shift in perspective.

Not everything has to be so important.
Not every imperfect moment has to be heavy.

Sometimes, we just need to let it be funny.

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A Cheerful Heart Really Is Good Medicine

Scripture reminds us:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." — Proverbs 17:22

And science agrees:

• Kids laugh up to 300 times a day

• Adults? Maybe 15–17 times —if we’re lucky.

• Laughter lowers stress. It boosts your immune system. Improves circulation. And it releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins.

Even fake laughter—Like what they do in laughter yoga—
Can trigger healing in the body.

The body doesn’t know the difference.
It just knows joy when it feels it.

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We Were Never Meant to Carry It All Without Release

Here’s the hard truth.

Somewhere between the bills, the deadlines, the heartbreaks, and the headlines...
We stopped laughing.
We stopped dancing on sidewalks.
We stopped making room for joy that wasn’t “productive.”

But we were never meant to carry it all without release.

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What If You Let Yourself Laugh Again This Week?

• Watch something silly.

• Dance badly.

• Be ridiculous on purpose.

• Throw popcorn in the air.

• Laugh at the moments that didn’t go as planned.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

You’re not betraying your values—you’re honoring your humanity.
You’re giving your soul medicine.

Whether you're celebrating Carnival, soaking in spring, or just trying to make it through the week—
May joy sneak up on you.
May laughter return like an old friend.

And may you remember:

Joy is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline.
And laughter is the sound we forgot we needed.

Stay In Motion!

P.S, I’d Love to Hear From You

Let me ask you something?

• When was the last time you really laughed?

• Who in your family had the kind of laugh you’ll never forget?

• What always makes you laugh—no matter what?

Drop it in the comments or share it with someone who needs a reason to smile today.

Let’s fill this space with joy.
We need each other’s laughter more than we know.