If you’ve been hiding under a rock the past couple of days, you might have missed the viral video that has taken Facebook by storm. Apparently 142 million people haven’t missed the video of “Chewbacca Mom.” I admit—I’ve watched it three times and it makes me laugh. Every. Single. Time.
What can we learn from Candace Payne, a Texas mom who bought a Chewbacca mask because—well—because!? Here are a four things we can take away from this viral sensation.
- We all need a good laugh. In a world that is full of fear and bad news, it never hurts to laugh until your side hurts. Joy is contagious. We all need to spread a little joy every day.
- A children’s toy might be a good purchase. Sometimes it’s good to spend money on something that brings out the kid in you. When was the last time you bought something that took you back to the joys of being a child? Maybe we all need a new toy in our life.
- We need friends who bring us joy. How can you not want to be Candace’s best friend? Do you have someone in your life who makes you laugh? I certainly do—I’m married to that person, and I can’t imagine my life without his humor.
- Social media influences our lives. Like it or not, it’s here to stay in a big way. A friend of mine who is a social media expert told me the average person looks at their Facebook 17 times a day. That’s crazy! And then I start thinking about how many times I clicked on Facebook from my phone. I don’t know if 17 is accurate, but most of us are tied to our phones and social media a lot more than we think. How can we use it in positive ways by building up each other and not tearing each other apart? We should all look for ways to be an encourager on social media.
Thanks Candace for giving us a laugh. Thanks for the social media break from the presidential race. You brought joy to millions of people. We’re waiting for your next video.