The best facial expression there ever was

On my way home from work today, there was a facial expression that truly caught my eye. I had patiently been waiting in the 59th street station for the express N train. A couple R local trains and a W train passed and it was what felt like 20 minutes when in fact it was half of that. New York really does move at so fast a pace that you underestimate the time every.damn.time. I had called my Mom during my walk to the train and she always lifts my spirits regardless of the conversation we have. And I just stood there, people watching, no headphones, no kindle, just the light breeze of the trains passing by blowing my hair into my face while the 9-5 corporate NY workforce passed me by even quicker and just in a great mood from giggling with my twin sister (my mom and I literally are twins). And there was a particular smile that I couldn’t get enough of.

It was a business woman. Not corporate America bad ass b**** (most of those don’t take the trains anymore), she was a tad bit softer. She had a light brown, timbaland shade trench coat laid on top of a 5 foot 4 healthy figure with a face I would describe as round but not too full with typical workday makeup, dark brown hair lightly curled and parted to the side. Her purple headphones were in and she was part of the stampede of passersby. But the slight uptick in the corner of her mouth had my mood immediately vibrating higher in an instant. She was listening to something that made her want to laugh and/or roll her eyes at the same time. Something she was listening to made her want to laugh but couldn’t do it because she was in a public space. One side of her mouth was curled up looking like she had a laugh she couldn’t bear to hold in but was a necessity because who shows vulnerability in the subway station!!? I think the best part about this expression is the unnerving fact that she was trying to hide it. To me, withholding laughter is nonsensical, absolute blasphemy but honestly, makes you wanna laugh even harder. And the build up. The climb to the explosion of laughter is one of the best things to witness. The water spitting, girthy, deep laugh from the gut is only produced from when you know it’s not supposed to be happening. The face contortion in that one moment is an attempt at keeping the hilarity only you know and understand a secret. But also seeing it makes you think of the serendipitous release of good vibes, smiles, and cackling that it produces in the after effect.

So, in conclusion, I have just nominated this facial expression to be my favorite in the whole world. In the mass existence of facial expressions. It hits every time. Keep laughing my friends, Sistah Ceej loves you.