Laughter

It seems like the whole world is filled with rage these days. Maybe that's an exaggeration but it sure feels that way. Watching the elections was a showcase in rage. The evening news is awash with story after story where someone has taken their rage out on someone else. It shows up as you're driving down the road. I even watched several parents get into a shouting match yesterday at my twelve year old daughter's soccer game. Whatever the cause, it is all around us.

Maybe that's one of the reasons why I miss my dad so much. My dad was a very warm, very funny man. He had a great sense of humor and a delightful personality. He had the ability to make anyone, even perfect strangers feel at ease with his humor. His laughter was infectious as were his silly songs he sang frequently around our household.

Maybe it's why I love watching my kids laugh. Driving home from the soccer game yesterday, I listened as Abby and her friend got downright silly. They got tickled because Abby used a big fancy word incorrectly. It went downhill (or should I say uphill) from there. They were laughing at animal noises, at stupid things they had said, even funny friends they liked on their soccer team. Most Wednesday nights, we have a van load of neighborhood kids coming home from church. It's hilarious to listen to them as they try to come up with the best Chuck Norris joke (or some other absolutely stupid...but delightful...joke).

Maybe that's why I love laughing on days off with Lisa. It doesn't really matter what it is, I just like to laugh with her. Maybe it's trying some new, healthy food at the grocery store. Or it might be watching an episode of some funny show we enjoy. More often than not, it starts with just a silly comment.

I don't know. Maybe I don't take life seriously enough. But it appears to me that the rest of the world is doing plenty of that in my place. I'd rather laugh. I'd rather think about those special moments and those special memories that have been created by laughter. I'll think about Landon's funny giggle or some goofy moment shared with Harrison and it reminds me, in the course of eternity, most of what I worry about won't really make a difference. Thirty years from now, I'll still have those moments of laughter that fill my head--just like with my dad.

Don't let life fill you with rage. Laughter is the greatest cure for that. One website gave these suggestions to get you started. Learn to smile. Count your blessings. When you hear laughter, move toward it. Find funny friends and spend time with them. Whatever you do, learn to laugh.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. Proverbs 17:22 NLT