For laughing out loud!

[Samuel S.]

Today, I saw  a very powerful, very controversial movie which just came out on Friday! I would rather not name the movie, because I don't know the rules about publicizing such things on this website. The main actor portraying the character had a horrible life with him being beaten up and being deceived. The way he seemed to cope the best was to laugh, although his anger took over oftentimes.

When I got back to our condo, my PDw wasn't in the best of moods due to feeling achy from standing up for 4 days in a row. After listening to her complain about this person and that person at different places where she works, I shared with her about this movie I saw today. I explained how the character reacted by laughing out loud, thus causing more trouble from other people. She said that she could relate to the character due to her own past of being physically abused, having lost her oldest child to West Nile Virus, and getting a divorce. Granted, she has gotten both originally traditional therapy and now non-traditional therapy from a "medium counselor". Both of her counselors would ask her why she would laugh when she had so much turmoil in her life. She basically replied that she couldn't cry. So, her coping mechanism was to laugh, instead.

While I listen and while I empathize with her situation, she laughs at other people's pain just as much, and that is just her sadistic side of her showing up. I bring this up, because she manipulated me into believing that both of my daughters were selfish. I defended them, but she would contradict me, thus causing more arguments. When my older daughter visited me, my older daughter and I got into a bad argument while my PDw was in the other room. After I told my older daughter to leave due to being verbally abusive,  my PDw came out of the other room and laughed about what she overheard. I understood right then and there that she was actually enjoying others arguing, that she accomplished her goal to split my older daughter and me.

It was due to my PDw laughing out loud, I immediately began explaining and apologizing to both of my daughters, and I thank my lucky stars that both of my daughters and I are that much closer.

So, I am wondering. Have you encountered your PD laughing at you or about others so they can feel better about themselves? If so, what did you do? If so, how did you feel?