Upside Down

Feeling the joy - My Sunday Best #53

Lately, I’ve had the urge to hang upside down—like I did when I was a kid, with my legs curled around the monkey bars, hair hanging down, arms dangling, my hands brushing the leaves of a misplaced weed that popped up in the playground sand.

I want to play, be silly, laugh, carry on, make funny faces, and clown around.

I want to look through a Kaleidoscope—point it up to the light, turn it slowly, and watch a cascade of purple diamonds and gold circles spill into a beautiful mosaic pattern that looks like a stained glass window.

I want to twirl around in one of those pretty Easter dresses my grandmother bought me, and tap dance in the squeaky white sandals.

I want to eat one of the ears off a chocolate bunny.

Not really. I can’t stand the taste of fake chocolate, and I’m certain the Easter dress wouldn’t fit.

It’s not so much the doing or recreating those lost moments of childhood I want to re-feel them. Those days were full of magic and wonder. Before I knew better. Before I was too old for childish things. Before life got so serious.

Even though these memories are conjured up from history, the feelings haven’t gone anywhere, they’re still with me. Hanging upside down felt good, I remember. It changed my perspective and brought me joy. Looking at everyone else upside down was just plain funny. Back then, it was easy to follow my joy. Joy was my GPS and I trusted it. Kind of like I blindly trust the GPS to get me to my destination today.

It took me four years to learn to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child—Pablo Picasso

Perspective makes the ordinary extraordinary. Kids do this naturally. As an adult, it takes some effort to bump myself out of the rut of sameness and return to the imaginativeness, innocence, exuberance, and lovingness I knew so well when I was a child.

But thankfully, it’s never too late to begin again—to see the world through eyes of wonder. For me, taking a walk stirs the child in me. And of course, little kids are full of great ideas—giggling, blowing bubbles, sneaking a few cookies, looking out the back window of the car, or eating the ear off of a chocolate bunny.

Trust what makes you happy.

I Wanna Laugh 
Trisha Leone

Two rows in front of me, a couple kids are giggling
Their faces turning red they just can’t hold it in
And I can’t see what it is that makes them laugh
But I know one thing it’s contagious
And I want some of that

I wanna laugh like that again
So hard that I just can’t hold it in
Doubled over falling onto the floor
Take me back I wanna laugh
Like that again

My sense of humor got distracted long ago
By obligations and sticky notes across my wall
And I’ve been missing What it is I love the most
The sound of laughter, the kind that vibrates to my soul

I wanna laugh like that again
So hard that I just can’t hold it in
Doubled over falling onto the floor
Take me back I wanna laugh
Like that again

I wanna laugh til the tears start to fall
Til my side aches and I can’t speak a word at all
I know this might sound a little desperate
But do you think my feet are still ticklish?

I wanna laugh like that again
So hard that I just can’t hold it in
Doubled over falling onto the floor
Take me back I wanna laugh
Like that again

I Wanna Laugh listen on Bandcamp or below