Laughter is life enhancing

Laughter was the intention for the day. It began with the funny stories on URAwesome radio show. We laughed until most of us wet our pants. The hour flew by and we all left completely energized and happy. This set the tone for the rest of my day. I sought to find humor in all things and it worked. I laughed most of the day and found I felt lighter.

It reminded me of G.K. Chesterton's saying, "Angels fly because they take themselves lightly." We often see children as angels, I wonder if it is because they look like Cherubs and they find humor in what most of us consider stupid or childish whims. I know around our house, our children want to be playful and to laugh and if I am not rested or I am taking life too seriously, I squelch their joy. I am usually sad when this happens and my attitude subdues the air in the room. Sometimes becoming aware is the pits.

Jesus calls us to become like children. I have always considered that to only mean to be open. In thinking about laughter, I believe, taking ourselves lightly, is yet another way that we become like children. In a report by William Fry, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School and expert on health and laughter, the average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day. However, adults average approximately 17 laughs a day. What happens to us as we grow old?

Have we forgotten how to laugh? Or have too many people, like me with my children, squelched our laughter. I have noticed LOL (laugh out loud)on so many texts and emails. I have witnessed people typing LOL, including myself, but I rarely hear anyone LOL. Are we too embarrassed to really laugh out loud, have we become so uptight that we can't laugh, or are we just too old? These are great questions to ask ourselves.

Chuck Gallozzi, author of Benefits of Laughter, believes "We don't stop laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop laughing.
I encourage everyone to start laughing. It is more contagious than a cold or the flu and it has many healing benefits. Let's practice smiling and spreading the joy. Let's join in the laughter and not squelch it. And maybe we will fly with the angels.