Sometimes a big belly laugh comes as a surprise. And as a gift. A bonus is that you usually get to share the gift of laughter with another person. The sharing amplifies the gift.

Last evening I arrived at a rehearsal of my improv group…I was on time and all was well. I realized that I left something in my car and went back out to retrieve it. On the way, I paused to connect with a friend. As we chatted outside the theater, something totally silly happened. The two of us made eye contact and there was a beautiful pause before we both broke out into belly laughs. Another friend approached, and we shared the silliness and the laughter with him, too.

We laughed so hard together that we were both thinking about it long afterward. My friend texted me this morning with a note of gratitude about the shared laughter. I texted back that I was still laughing when I was getting ready to fall asleep last night. We enjoyed the memory and shared another round of belly laughs.

The spontaneity in the moment last evening was a beautiful surprise and a beautiful connection. Truly a gift. And remembering the moment brought the laughter back again, like a melody that keeps playing long after the music stops.