the joy scream

Yesterday, my eldest niece turned seven. 

She honored me greatly by inviting me to be part of the entertainment at her slumber party. She requested that I show the girls how to decorate hula hoops, dye their hair rainbow colors and tell fortunes. I didn't expect any of this to play out exactly as imagined because I have been a seven year old girl and I know the way of the slumber party, but I thought the request was fantastic. It was perhaps the proudest moment of my life when I arrived at the party and Ava announced to her friends, "The famous LaLa is here!"

Hula hoop decoration was really fun and lasted for about five minutes, then someone requested the hair coloring commence and my sister in law (the grooviest mom of all time) brought out glitter hair spray and we set up a little beauty parlor in the back yard. 

We were spraying away to the chorus of, "More pink! More blue!" when we heard a scream from inside the house. We all stopped and turned our attention toward the screened door. Was someone hurt? Had someone made a horrifying discovery? This was a scream.

Chloe went in to investigate and returned with a smile. One of the party guests looked at her new colorful glittered hair in the mirror and screamed because she was so happy.

She was so happy, she screamed.

Do you remember being that happy? Do you remember the sensation of life force pumping through your veins? Do you remember when this earth felt like a giant playground? Do you remember thinking, when I grow up, I'm going to do everything I want whenever I want, because of your undiluted belief in and understanding of the fundamental goodness of things? Can you remember when you knew that being completely blissed out and joyous was the best most natural place to be? Do you remember feeling alive on that level? Did you ever?

It can be like that (again).

Comments

[Jill]

Beautiful.

[Mechaieh]

That is so awesome! *glittery hugs and applause*

[Lisa]

Yay!!!

We had just this kind of wild abandon infusion a couple of years ago when Eric Clapton showed up as a surprise guest at a Bob Dylan concert. It was unbelievable! And perhaps the most hilarious display of adult ebullience I've ever seen :-D

Lucky you to have been a part of such merriment!