The New Domesticity: Good Medicine

For the first few weeks of the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, our family was decidedly running on adrenaline. We created our own version of “The Great British Baking Show,” staging a family sandwich competition. We corralled extended family and began writing a postally exchanged mystery serial. We bought seeds and started a victory garden (for which I inexplicably summoned the ability to weave a compost basket, as one does). 

Friends, I should have known the exuberance wouldn’t last. About a month into this high-octane existence, we hit a wall. We were irritable. We were tired. We didn’t even know what day it was. One night, I decided to take action. I pulled out the twinkle lights, draped them about the living room, and announced that a family dance party would begin in 30 minutes.

Soon, the 80s playlist was cranked up. The girls needed little encouragement to hit the dance floor; but when the guys joined in? That’s when the fun really started. I think it was somewhere in the midst of a “total eclipse of the heart” that we grew downright silly, and laughter took over. Our moves were not impressive. Our coordination was lacking. Yet we danced on. And we laughed.

Again this month, I find myself writing in a time of uncertainty. There is much we can’t anticipate or plan for. But one thing I know for certain: laughter does a world of good, no matter the circumstances. Perhaps you’ve heard the proverb, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Let’s use the word “laugh” to explore this delightful remedy.

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