i am thankful for…

so much… family, friends, life, love, music, art, sunrises, sunsets, actually winning a giveaway (woohoo), weekend getaways, landscapes painted in autumn hues, a stranger smiling at me, you and you and you, the opportunity to grow…

But after such an intense year, if I had to name one thing for which I am most grateful right now, it would have to be silly moments shared.

Given all the heaviness that we all experience at one time or another, it is so uplifting, refreshing & energizing to let go sometimes, to give into hysterical giggles and uncontrollable fits of laughter.  We have an expression in Québec, lâcher son fou, which means freeing the crazy, the silly, within you.  In other words, letting your freak flag fly and not taking yourself so seriously.

I am, by nature, quite the shy girl but something happens when I’m around my mom and sisters.  I get really freaking silly and we feed off each other and next thing you know, you got 4 Caron’s with a case of the sillies and that shit is contagious yo!

And right there, hidden in those giggles is freedom.  You can conceal fear & loneliness behind a smile but they are still there, right beneath the surface.  When you catch a case of the sillies, you’re pretty much 7 years old giggling at the dinner table all over again and there ain’t no stopping you.  There is no room for any other emotion at that particular moment.  You are free, even if it’s only for a few minutes.  You are in a silly zen state.  And that, along with the hokey pokey, is really what it’s all about.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!  I hope you all shared many silly moments with friends and family over the weekend.