(At the end of a night filled with laughter at discovering one’s own shadow and light)

Laughter is the sound of joy. It is a release of emotions in the healthiest of ways. It is finding something that is not only good in the world but also brings you so much happiness that you have to let it out with a joyful sound. It happens when you are around friends and loved ones. It is a way to sooth the sting of awkward and difficult times in the past. It brings more happiness to the people around you because they can share in the joy and share it with you. It lightens moods and ensures others that you are joking or not being overly serious. It calms you when you are worried, and it brings you up when you are sad. It comes about from cleverness or jokes or strange coincidences. It can be contagious, bring tears and stomach-aches, cause you to fall over. The positive feelings that come from laughter last long after you have stopped laughing and can bring friends together again.