The Wild: A Body-Shaking Laughter
03.09.24 | 29205
For Reflection:
Contrary to the dictionary definition of wilderness, the thesaurus claims these terms as synonyms: “free, lush, native, natural.” How do these terms change the way you think about the wild?
What did your role models growing up think about the wild? Did that influence your perspective?
Who in your life is in touch with their “wild side”? What qualities do you see that make you think so?
What is your relationship with this person like? Are you inspired, intrigued, intimidated by them?
What aspects of this person’s story have made them more comfortable being more free-spirited?
Think about your mentors or leaders. How do they approach limitations or restrictions?
Who supports you in letting go of external or internal roadblocks? Who encourages you to set boundaries?
Who are you most connected to? How do boundaries play a role in your relationship?
Sometime in the early 2010s, my family took a trip west to see Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We stayed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with a bunch of extended family members from my mom’s side, who flew out from Massachusetts for the gathering. We had a hilarious time. We saw a moose out our window one day, and, despite better judgment, my grandfather went out on the deck to watch him (somehow, the moose wasn’t bothered). We went for hikes together and stayed up late playing cards and board games.
One night, my mom and my aunt downed a couple bottles of wine between them, growing more and more relaxed. Their antics entertained the rest of us for hours. The smallest of jokes would result in uproarious laughter for 10 or 15 minutes, at the end of which we would all try to remember what had been so funny in the first place (and then burst into laughter once again when we realized we didn’t know).
My mom is, generally, a relatively serious person. But there are also times when she will lose all inhibitions and simply laugh. She sees the humor in something and can’t let it go, choosing instead to lean into the hilarity of a moment. I remember having friends during my teenage years who commented that going to my house was particularly fun because we spent time with my family, especially my mom. She found the fun, and she brought it to everyone else.
This characteristic – this embrace of the humorous little moments and the ability to embody their pure, unrestricted joy, actually changes a person over time. My mom did not begin her life as someone who found happiness in all the little things. She developed an appreciation for that attitude over time, through relationships with the people who raised and shaped her.
My grandmother in particular cared a great deal about finding the positive moments each day. When I think back on my childhood, she had the same body-shaking laughter as my mom does now. Her attitudes and approach to life transferred, over time, to those she cared for in this world. She modeled that embrace of life’s adventures – life’s wild moments – for others, and we learned from her. In allowing herself to be silly, she gave others permission to be silly, too. She gave others space to share their less polished, less perfect, and more wild sides of themselves. She cared deeply about her community, and in modeling silliness and vulnerability, she allowed others to express their true selves, too.
As I grow older, I hope to embody this adventurous, imperfect spirit. I want to allow the body-shaking laughter that comes naturally to overtake me more often. I hope this unrestricted joy will not only allow me to show up to my days more authentically, with less concern for perfection, but that it might also allow others to do the same.
Who in your life lets themselves be taken over with body-shaking laughter? Who embraces silliness, or adventure? How do those people make you feel when you’re around them? I would love to hear.
Until next time, friends.