Only When I Laugh

Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. In my case, though, that doesn't ring true. Too much laughter, that is. In fact, just like stress and sudden changes in weather, it can trigger an asthma attack.

It's a difficult thing to get me and my husband out of the house on a Friday night. We'd rather sleep and stay home with the kids and besides, the traffic is terrible. So, what could have possessed us to have dinner in the Tomas Morato area last Friday night, a payday at that?

One of my good friends from grade school/high school had come home from the US after 9 years. It was quite a feat to get the group together (with husbands and boyfriends in tow)and after much going back and forth, we found out that November 15 was the only free date that we all had in common.

It was a good dinner - not so much for the food but for the company. "You haven't changed!" my friend from the US greeted all of us almost uniformly. With the weird way my mind works I say: "You mean I looked 35, 9 years ago?"

It's hard to imagine how we have all grown older. I still can't believe some of my friends are now doctors - when I still remember them clowning around years ago. I guess they also can't imagine that I'm now a mother of two. Over Japanese food, we go from the past to the future and back to the present, talking about things like "how to make girls," and the doctors were the ones asking us!

We all kept laughing the whole night that after getting home, I started to wheeze. My chest felt heavy till noon the next day but I'm okay now. I'll probably see the group again before my friend leaves and I'm sure we'll have fun once more. I should just remind myself not to laugh too much. Anyway, here's to friendships that survive distance and time...