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| My Little Hyena |
Ever notice the first thing you want to do when you see someone fall or trip over something is laugh? Surely not a very nice thing to do, but there's just something inside that triggers the brain to laugh instead of feel sympathy to lend a helping hand right away. I've experienced that many times, both on the laughing side and the receiving end of it. Recently, when my girl falls down, my boy would laugh out LOUD like a hyena. I was rather disappointed in him for doing that but thought to myself that the tendency to laugh could be something natural to all of us. So, I tell him that it's not nice to laugh and that he should go up to her and ask her if she's alright. I don't get disappointed at him anymore and accept that he's just being himself - as long as he understands he has to show concern as well. Just last Friday, my boy was jumping around like a monkey in the hall and somehow fell and hurt his ear. Thankfully my motherly instincts overpowered my instinct to laugh, but after checking on him and knowing he's okay, I was the one who wanted to laugh out loud like a hyena! Boy, was I guilt stricken by it. Apparently, there's a
scientific explanation for it. So, the next time you see someone trip over an umbrella, try your very best to laugh in your head and lend a helping hand. Yes, we all have to learn simple courtesies and to some extent, conform to social norms.
