We saw Despicable Me 2 last summer. I must say, the fun has continued this summer even after we saw the movie. My son loved the “Happy” song in it. (Click here for the YouTube video, http://bit.ly/1c7vfBJ.) He asked me to get it for him. As it turns out, I downloaded the entire soundtrack. There were several good songs that he & I each liked. It was more cost-effective to download it in its entirety. I didn’t think we’d benefit from the whole soundtrack, but I downloaded it anyway.
Funny thing is, we’ve been singing and dancing a lot to it. Well to be honest, I do most of the singing, while he does most of the dancing. Our favorites are “Happy” by Pharell Williams, the “Irish Drinking Song” & “I Swear,” both sung by Minions. “I Swear” is a cover of the Boys 2 Men song. It’s hysterical partly because it sounds like they are saying “underwear.” Seeing my son act out moves while belting out “underwear” makes me laugh and brings a smile to my face that lasts quite a while.
Music definitely has mental and physical benefits (http://bit.ly/15KC9qK). Laughter does too (https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/laughter-good-for-you/). Music & laughter increase our antibody production. They also decrease our cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone, so lowering it naturally decreases your stress level. These are great boosts to our immune system. Other benefits include improved blood pressure and flow, positive impact on blood sugar, less aggressive behavior, increased coping skills, and improved socialization.
Personally, There are many great aspects of laughing, singing, and dancing. The best part is the happiness together. It’s fun, silly, unscripted quality time together. It’s super funny when my husband joins in, all 6’4″ of him hopping and spinning in a circle on one foot while clapping at the same time.
My favorite lyrics of “Happy” are:
“Clap your hands, if you feel like a room without a roof.
Clap your hands, if you know that happiness is the truth.
Clap your hands, if know what happiness is to you.
Clap your hands, if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.”
In these serious times, it’s important to have a reminder to be happy. It can be as simple as a song. It cost $1.29 to download. And I can honestly say, it’s definitely worth it. Simple silly times filled with song and dance, are happy priceless moments.
