Some of my favorite times with my family and friends are the times when we're havin a laugh!<br /> <br /> I have a good time with all my family members and friends when we get together but I do have this one good friend and former coworker who can make me laugh so hard, I have to squat down to catch my breath. We don't get to see each other often enough as life is very busy, but when we do, it's definitely quality over quantity. I treasure these laughing moments and reflect on them often, her laughter is infectious.<br /> <br /> One of the things I love most about my brother is his laugh. When he lived with us, we would wait until he got home from work to watch a favorite comedy show together, just to enjoy his laughter. His laugh is contagious and genuine, and it is inherited from both our mother and our father-I love watching comedies with them too.<br /> <br /> After moving to Toronto from Newfoundland over 26 years ago, one of my first Christmases away was bittersweet. I didn't get to go home that year but I have a wonderful memory that I share with my brother and sister. The movie Christmas Vacation came out that season and what a laugh it was, and still is. I sent the VHS home to my brother and sister and they wore that tape out! We (them more than me) can recite passages from that movie at any given time. Just recently we even took a Facebook Christmas Vacation challenge to see how knowledgeable we were, I didn't do very well but they sure did.<br /> <br /> Do you ever get an urge to laugh uncontrollably where it's not appropriate? Like in church for example; I remember when I would attend sometimes with my sista, and she would make me laugh to the point where I couldn't stop. Or when attending a serious event and the person you're sitting beside makes you laugh. You're trying to hold it in, but you just can't, and you have tears in your eyes from trying to suppress it so much. If I even see this happening, I want to laugh too-it's contagious like a yawn to me.<br /> <br /> As I mentioned in another blog Tales From Away-Choose your words wisely~, I'm not much of a socializer in crowds, and I reconfirmed this at a recent cocktail event-I'm better with the dinner part of the evening. But laughter is the key to a successful social I've learned; the people in the room are drawn to the person or people who are laughing and enjoying it the most. So my words of wisdom here is to laugh like everyone is watching~<br /> <br /> The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. Mark Twain<br /> <br /> Take care (&amp; laugh whenever you can) and all the best~Celeste<br /> <br /> www.talesfromaway.com   Submitted By: Alicia "Celeste" Loughrey