Sometimes I start laughing about a funny memory that pops into my head.

But it doesn’t just make me smile. My visual recall of the event takes me back to it, as in re-living the moment.

These are the kinds of memories that are funniest after-the-fact; the kind that aren’t all that amusing at the moment but are great for inducing a flood of endorphins upon later reflection.

I don’t quite know why this particular memory about taking my daughter to jazz band before school two years ago entered my thoughts while I was scrubbing a baking dish at 1:00 AM last night…but there it was.

First I giggled. Out loud. The husband and kids were all sleeping.

Then the more I thought about it, the more visual the memory was and I laughed even harder. Soon I was leaning over the sink and cracking up. Tears streamed down my face, my stomach muscles were hurting, and I could hardly believe that the laughter simply wouldn’t stop. My mind could not stop “seeing” it.

I must have looked like a madwoman, so loud and hearty was my laughter. My cats even glanced at me as if to say, “You’re such a freak.” I don’t know…it happens often enough that they’re probably used to it.

Had anyone awakened, could I have answered the ensuing question, “What’s so funny?” Probably not. The visual recall part of me makes re-telling a funny story incomprehensible…which pretty much means that they laugh at my laughing since they can’t understand what I’m trying to say.

It’s just so silly in a feel-good way.

© Alexa Lopez, 2009