Something clicked in me this morning.
Not loudly. Not dramatically.
Just a soft click.
Like when an old box creaks open in the attic.
And then a thought popped into my head:
When was the last time I laughed so hard my stomach hurt?
Not a meme-scrolling chuckle.
I mean that rolling-on-the-floor, tears-streaming, gasping-for-air kind of laughter.
The kind that used to be a daily thing when we were kids.
Where did those days go?
Those vivid, buzzing days, when every moment felt alive?
How did we end up in this hamster wheel that drains our soul bit by bit?
Remember when you were a kid or a teenager and swore:
“I’ll never fall into that trap.”
You promised yourself you’d stay joyful, full of energy, glowing with happiness. That you’d never fade into one of those people — the ones you see shuffling by on the street, grey and worn out. The ones who’ve been working for years — maybe decades — slowly leaking life and collecting problems like dust.
And now? Now that we’re grown?
Now that we’ve stepped into “the real world”?
We’re serious.
You’re serious.
Busy.
Mature.
No time. No energy.
Of course.
None of us escaped the monster that stole our daily joy — our laughter, our friendships, our freedom. It sucked us in, just like everyone else, and it’s draining us. It bleeds out our color, our joy, that carefree, smiling child we used to be. And replaces it with stress, deadlines, and a never-ending to-do list.
Back then, summer was summer.
Dusty streets, sweat-slick childhoods, jam-smeared bread in the corner. We were the noise of the playground. The buzz of the backyard. We rolled in the grass. Our mouths were sticky from honey-buttered toast. We stood on our hands in the muddy garden and didn’t care how filthy we got. We didn’t care about the rain or the sunburn.
Because life was play.
It was all about adventure.
Laughing with friends, with our parents. That something extra made it all magical. Because living wasn’t embarrassing.
But now…?
Adults don’t swing anymore, right?
They don’t laugh out loud.
They don’t jump in puddles.
They don’t chase joy.
They solve problems.
Because if you don’t?
“What are you, a child?”
You’d probably hear it in a snide, patronizing tone.
And it’d come from the kind of person — or people —
who forgot what it was like to laugh with their whole heart.
Who used to just exist — not command, not criticize, not give deadlines.
Because back then, none of that mattered.
Somewhere along the way, we were taught:
To live is to be serious.
Joy is suspicious. Play is childish. Laughter is distracting.
And we obeyed.
Smiling on the outside. Gritting our teeth on the inside. Because that’s how it’s done. That’s “adulting.”
But something slipped away. Something important.
Maybe now you’re filling in Excel sheets at some company,
following orders, people-pleasing, paying bills.
On repeat.
Because that’s your job now. That became your job.
But that barefoot kid —
the one who ran wild in the backyard —
he’s still in there.
He just went quiet.
Because you stopped calling him out to play.
And maybe… just maybe… now is the time.
To call him back.
And you know what the greatest irony is?
When your kid — or your neighbor’s — rolls around in the mud,
laughing like crazy,
you snap:
“Behave yourself!”
Even though that used to be you.
You just forgot.
Or maybe it got trained out of you.
Labeled as immature.
“Grow up already.”
But maybe…
You weren’t scolding them.
Maybe you were scolding yourself —
because deep down, you miss being that kid.
The one they remind you of.
I bet the question has already crept into your mind…
Can we go back?
No, I’m not saying move back in with your mom and eat Nutella on toast all day.
But I am saying:
Laugh out loud.
Swing on a swing.
Get your mouth sticky.
Make time to play.
To live.
Because life is not an Excel spreadsheet.
It’s summer.
Dusty, sticky, sun-drenched summer.
And if you let just a sliver of that back in —
something will shift.
So let me ask you:
When was the last time you laughed so hard it hurt?
And if it’s been too long…
When will you let yourself again?
What’s stopping you?
People’s stares?
Someone saying you’re childish?
Honestly…
Who cares?
Life isn’t always easy.
But sometimes, it gets to be messy, silly, and full of laughter.
And that’s what makes it real.
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