I love the sound of children’s laughter. For me, it conveys pure joy. I believe only kids have the knack of being really and truly happy. They do not brood over yesterday or worry about tomorrow; they live for the moment – here and now. They play, fall, cry, quarrel, and the next moment, you hear joyous laughter. Talk about living life to the fullest!

Children don’t harbor grudges or anger; there isn’t an iota of jealously or hatred in their tiny hearts. Maybe that’s why they can laugh so merrily. A kid will never give you a false smile or laugh sarcastically at you – that’s what adults do. And that’s why a child’s laughter brings us joy.

Most kids drive their parents half crazy with their antics, but the moment they are not around – spending the weekend with Grandma, or gone to the movies with Uncle Jim or Aunt Sara – suddenly the house becomes eerily quiet. Most moms and dads who yearned for some peace and quiet are actually waiting for the kids to come home, not because they worry for their safety, but because they actually miss them. I believe what they really miss is the laughter of their precious bundles of joy.

When I see images on TV of kids playing among the rubble and squalor in some war ravaged or famine-stricken country, I want to cry. But when I see them smile and hear their laughter, it lifts my spirit. A child’s laughter can unite us across all man-made boundaries.