The Gift of Laughter

A dear, dear friend of mine recently sent me an email that included a challenge to find Joy in the form of Gifts throughout the month of February. If you happen to be familiar with the popular book (unlike myself) One Thousand Gifts, this idea/challenge may seem more familiar.  Regardless, I was intrigued and encouraged by the PDF that landed in my inbox and thought I'd make an earnest attempt to keep my eyes posted for various gifts. One which I most recently enjoyed was the gift of laughter, three instances of laughter to be exact.

To find Joy in your daily life, check out these ideas for February and/or stop by One Thousand Gifts Facebook Page.

So as I opened my eyes to the subtle gifts and suggestions for finding joy in the day to day I was beyond thrilled to see that laughter was on of the gifts I was to give my attention to. The day which I set aside to listen for and appreciate laughter offered ample opportunity to soak up this joyful gift of human nature.

As a teacher, working with children, I've had countless opportunities to laugh and to hear laughter, it's an aspect of this profession I forget to give thanks for on a regular basis.

As a teacher in South Korea these laughing-stock opportunities continue to abound, yet occassionally require a bit more coaxing on my part. Students are committed to study and are all-to-familiar with rigourous classroom rules, lecture style presentations and straight repetition of facts. I'm lucky to at least work in one of the nation's more 'controversial' and 'independently-minded' subjects, that being the English language. Language learning requires a loss of inhibition, mine have been barely holding on for some time, so I find it relatively easy to bust out 'baby' voice or funny pictures or put on a short song and dance number.

But the joy of laughter, the gift, that I most recently relished was student generated and all the more glorious as such.  With a co-teacher and insanely dear friend, students were enouraged to create their own short role-play based losely on an 'old favorite' such as Cinderella, Tom & Jerry, The Ugly Duckling, Snow White, etc.

Our students have shown a deep and unflagging love or role-plays throughout the year, so they jumped into the project with two feet and hilarity ensued. I believe our students found themselves to be capable of such ridiculous re-interpretations of famous stories using minimal English that there was no hope in holding back th laughter. A personal favorite moment was watching students re-enacting some innocent Disney classic or anotherand confidently inserting a Matrix-esque fight scene. Not only were they doubled over with laughter, but we the teacher's were equally amused and overjoyed by the students use of their prior film and acting knowledge.

It's been cold, gray and a bit dreary in South Korea for some time now. The school year is just ending and with it will go some of the stability of partnerships and professional relationships I lean on so heavily. Regardless, there is reason to laugh, and laugh we did and laugh we will.

(Typed while finishing up a thermos filled with instant Maxim Mocha Latte, thanks to this Korean life)