In every single solid friend group, there is a friend with the laugh.

And if you immediately knew what I was talking about when I said that, then you're probably that person.

You're the friend who snorts when you laugh.

It's might be when you find something particularly funny, it might be something that happens when you've been laughing for awhile and it might be something that happens when you're nervous and all you can think is, "Oh, God don't..."

Or, if you're like me, then it just happens. It's a toss up. It's just how you laugh.

When you're with your friends, it often turns into a game. Who can make you snort laugh first? How long will it take until the snort comes out? Will the snort be accompanied by something shooting our her nose? Hopefully.

And I know all of these things because I am the one who snort laughs.

For a long time, I was embarrassed by this fact. If I was around anyone that I wasn't completely comfortable with, then I was almost scared to laugh for fear that I would snort and everyone would look at me.

"Did you just snort? Is there a pig in here? Oh my God, that's hilarious!"

For a long time, I was totally ashamed of my laugh. My best friend and mom told me it was adorable and that it made me who I was, but that limited encouragement really only succeeded in making me feel worse about it. I didn't want to be compared to a pig. I just wanted to be able to laugh like a normal person.

But after awhile, I realized something.

My laugh wasn't necessarily "normal," but it was truly and uniquely mine. I realized that my friends loved my laugh and that was when I started snorting. It made everyone laugh even harder, causing everyone to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable.

I came to understand that being embarrassed or ashamed of something that is such an integral part of who I am is silly and unfair to the person I am.

I quickly learned to love my laugh. Now that I accept it as part of my personality, I can see how much the people around me love it and appreciate it as part of my own unique self. I still get the occasional surprised remark from people who don't know me as well and my face still turns red every time it happens, but that is most likely caused by a lack of air.

And more than anything, I came to see that I didn't want to have a laugh like everyone else's. I wanted to laugh as often and as hard as I could. I wanted people to laugh right along with me and be able to say, "Yeah, that's Kate!"

So whether you snort, wheeze or just clap like a mute seal, be proud of your laugh. Because the more distinctive your laugh, the more people you'll make laugh right along with you.