We have a natural tendency to shy away from the darkest crevices of our vulnerable minds, to avoid the far depths of our wandering thoughts, for fear of summoning our deepest insecurities and remembering our weakest moments. But, if you are fearless enough, I dare you to creep into a forgotten corner in your brain and recall a time you were so painfully broken. Relive that moment when you shamefully sat with your head drooped between your knees, tears dripping onto the hard wood floor at 3am, condemning yourself for your mere existence. Although my chest aches when I awaken those dreadful memories of loneliness and regret, I am comforted by the revelation I had during this grievous time. Laughter was capable of bursting my sorrow. While I was enduring that relentless torment, when I was writhing in that bitter pain, the moments when my friends sat by me on that hard wood floor were the times that saved my hopeless life. When they wrapped their arms around my trembling shoulders, when they entertained me with their nonsensical jokes, my tear-stained face unfailingly burst into a hearty laughter, creating a ray of sunshine amid my ominous storm. The truth is, there is a reason why laughter is so challenging to hold back. It is the body’s natural defense against agony. It is a shield of armor that deflects unwanted woes. Laughter has sheltered me from the bleakest, most painful days of my life, and it continues to safeguard me everyday.