A randomly caught laughter
Hearing someone laugh makes your face turn automatically into a smile. We should laugh more.
A few weeks into 2025 and still happy that I not have set any big goals. Someone asked me about it and I tried to explain about not making any New Years resolutions. Adding to what I wrote, in these restless times, I would want us to focus more on what we can do for someone else. Whether nearby or by supporting unknown people caught up in a war they did not choose to be in.
Besides these gloomy and dark weeks I let myself be surprised by unexpected moments.
Such like that Sunday evening.
It snowed.
Wearing merely my pink bathrobe, I stand barefoot on the balcony.
The wind makes a little whistle as it tries to force its way between the bars of the balcony window.
It is a clear night and the center of the Orion constellation, the three stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka are brightly visible.
A quick glance at the thermometer reveals its - 4 degrees.
I take a sip and feel the cold water sliding down my gullet.
This moment of cooling down after heating up in a hot, cozy, sauna makes me feel at my best. As if my body and brain gets an instant reset and I do not feel any nerve pain at all. Stepping into icy water after a hot sauna works even better!
My thoughts are empty and I think of nothing
About to go back inside, I take a last look at the three stars. On hearing the laughter of a child, my attention switches. Curiously I look to see where it comes from. Further up the street a man is running while pulling a sledge with a child lying on it. The child laughs and shouts ‘Faster, faster!’.
Behind them a woman, carrying a seemingly heavy bag, slowly follows.
At the corner the man suddenly stops. From there the road goes downhill. As if it was agreed beforehand, the child immediately rolls off the sledge. Quickly gets on its knees, embraces a pile of fresh snow and starts shaping a snowball. Like a baseball the snowball flies towards the man, who ducks away. Missed.
They laugh. Again.
My face turns into a smile.
The woman catches up, takes a pause and joins in the laughter as the man and boy continue their snowball contest.
By now I laugh loudly.
It is time to go home
The man takes a seat on the sledge, puts the heavy bag between his legs and shouts something. Immediately the child gets hold of the rope and starts pulling it. The sledge does not move an inch.
Again they laugh.
I laugh along.
The boy tries and tries and then lets go, runs behind the sledge and starts pushing the back of the man. At the same time the man pushes with both hand. Slowly the sledge starts moving. Then faster and faster. A loud hurrah flies in the air along with the cold wind. By now the child and woman are running after the man.
They disappear into the night. Onwards homebound.
With a smile on my face, the echo of their laughter rocks me to sleep.
If you want to catch up with some of my earlier writings. Start with understanding how learning to write helps shape your identity.