Tahoe, CA.

“Laughter is the corrective force which prevents us from becoming cranks.” ~Henri Bergson

It was winter and we were heading up to the snow for the day with the kids. Snow boots, snow suits, snow toys—our car was piled high and we were looking forward to a fun day of sledding.

Mike looked great in his snow gear, and I…

well, that was another story.

Since I don’t ski much, I had only one (very outdated) pair of ski pants to wear. The legs were too short and the waist was too-high (it literally dug into my ribs). And it’s not that I necessarily have to look fashionable when I go to the snow; it’s just that this outfit was not only super-outdated, it was uncomfortable.

“I hate these pants,” I complained to Mike. He tried to make me feel better and said I looked cute, but I knew he was just being nice.

Feeling ugly, but knowing I didn’t have any other ski pants to wear, I threw my hands in the air and said, “Well who cares anyway. It’s not like I’m going to see anyone up there.”

We piled in the truck and headed up the hill to Tahoe.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Literally a few minutes after we parked at a sledding place and got out of the car, a man with a microphone walked up to me, followed by a cameraman.

“Do you time for some questions?” he asked, putting the microphone up to my face. It turns out it was a news reporter doing a segment on the weather and all the people heading up to the snow that day.

“Uh, sure,” I said, cringing.

I don’t remember much of the interview, other than the fact that my less-than-stylish ski outfit (that I thought nobody would see) was captured on the 6:00 o’clock news that night. My aunt who lives a couple of hours away in the Bay Area even called me and said, “We saw you on TV!”

Needless to say, it was one of those it figures moments, but it ended up being a really funny memory. Mike and I got a good laugh about the fact that the one time I thought no one would see me, I ended up on the news.

But times like this—when we’re forced to let our hair down and laugh at ourselves—teach us a lot. Like how much better it is to lighten up instead of worrying so much about what other people think.

And knowing how to laugh and not take life too seriously really does help us from becoming cranks. :)

Mommy-bliss tip #9: Take yourself more lightly today. Let your guard down. Instead of being critical of yourself or your circumstances, give yourself a break today. And while you’re at it, have a good laugh!

*excerpt from the book I’m writing, Laugh a Little, Cry a Little, Love a Lot – Three Surprisingly Simple Steps to Mommy-Bliss.

What about you? Have you had any laugh-at-yourself moments you can share? Take a minute and leave a comment! I may just include it in my book (if you comment and don’t have a blog I can contact you through, leave your email too so I can contact you for permission if I want to use your experience/story). Thanks!
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