The Grandmother Trope

There is a family trope which I might have to listen to and change. 

Mmm. 

Not a family trope. 

A grandmother trope. 

There is a certain laughter that comes from me that frightens people, I would say.  Or makes them wary.  For sure they go on some kind of alert.

What happens is, I give a laugh, a good belly laugh, and then grandchildren who are around me are alerted that something has gone wrong somewhere and that I am laughing at it.  Not wanting to be the grandchild who initiated the laugh, they ask, "What are you laughing at, Grandmother", but their tone is not questioning, but combatative.

I wouldn't have been able to articulate this, but I have been the object of this question (What are you laughing at, Grandmother?) as I have been visiting in Aylmer (from Rhiannon) and now in Montreal (from Hebe). 

Ha ha. 

If laughter keeps people alive, I am going to have many good years ahead of me.

Arta