Laughter is the best

Sometimes I start laughing and can’t even talk because I am laughing so hard. It is usually over something completely ridiculous that isn’t necessarily funny to anyone else and when I finally catch my breath enough to blurt out what is causing my hysterical laughter, those listening shake their head in disbelief: what is so funny about that?

Honestly, I can’t really tell you. Some things just strike me as funny. Here’s an example: I am scrolling through Instagram and see a t-shirt for sale that says “Chicken Pot Pie” and beneath it, in smaller case letters, it says “three of my favorite things.” I go hysterical with laughter. The gasping, snorting, can’t-stop-sort of laughter. Needless to say when I reach the point of being able to speak once again and share the source of my laughter about the chicken pot pie with my husband, he looks at me as if I had lost my mind. Maybe I have.

In truth laughter does make us lose our minds a bit. In a time when there is so much serious news and even terrifying news, it is a gift to laugh with all abandon. I wish I could do it more often.

I think it is why I love television programs like Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek and the Wanda Sykes I’m an Entertainer special. Yes, I know some people don’t find those programs at all funny, but I do and they make me laugh and I love any and all opportunities to do so.

I heard somewhere that children laugh hundreds of times a day but adults laugh much less often. What a shame! Perhaps it is why I often prefer the company of children to adults.

One of the best gifts my brother brought to the world was his ability to make people laugh. He did this with such ease because he could almost always see the funny side to any situation—even the very tense ones. He usually had a funny story to tell about something most would have experienced as just an ordinary occurrence or even a frustrating one. But when my brother shared it, you would find yourself laughing.

Once we checked into a B & B in Vermont and I found the room’s working toilet in the middle of my room at the foot of my bed. What?!?! Most people would have just seen the top hat on the top of the dresser in my brother’s and his wife’s room (which did NOT have a toilet as the centerpiece) as decoration, but it immediately became a prop for an impromptu hallway soft shoe from their room over to my room. Somehow the toilet became part of a grand joke we would never forget!

My brother never missed an opportunity for laughter. No wonder we miss him so much.

There’s a serious side to laughter, too. Here’s a bit of scientific information that supports laughter being good for us:

“Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter lightens anger's heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.”

(https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm)

Life is not always funny but laughter is always a gift. Having a rough day? Find a funny movie to watch. Do something silly.

Flip through the cartoons in The New Yorker. Send a friend a ridiculous photo.

Make someone a funny pancake.

Take time to laugh with those you love.

Life is short and not always easy, but laughter makes it so much better. So, so much better.