My daughter’s birthday was a few days ago, and my mother left her three messages throughout the day. She sang happy birthday each time, but felt the need to keep calling. Samantha said the best message was the last one, because mom just laughed hysterically and hung up.
Growing up, our entire family had a rule – Laughter First.
When I was ten years old, my dad led my sister, brother and I out on a stone jetty at the beach. Once we reached the middle of the jetty, he turned to us and said, “Now kids, watch where you’re walking because there are . . . ” and he disappeared. He had taken a step back without looking and dropped right into the water.
Once he had climbed back up, scratched and bleeding, we all started laughing. We ran back to the beach to tell my mom, because we knew it was a great story.
For us, laughter was the reward for an unfortunate incident.
When you laugh, you light up your soul . . .
That’s right. Laughter sends hormones that act as opiates down your spine. Laughter lights you up and makes others want to be around you.
I saw an old episode of “I Love Lucy” last night, and was so relieved that I wasn’t watching someone get shot, stabbed, or devoured by a zombie. Not that I don’t watch those shows, I do, but I realized how much lighter I felt after watching Lucy’s antics.
I guess I love Lucy because I understand her. While I never lit my fake nose on fire while talking with William Holden, I did breastfeed the wrong baby.
And while I didn’t get stuck outside on a ledge while dressed as Superman, I did crawl through a window with my roommate to get into Pablo Cruise’s dressing room at Wake Forest.
Lucille Ball was a perfectionist who was courageous in her art, and believed in its power.
If you need to power up your laughter, try the following:
If tragedy is the rose, then comedy is the daisy.
Light, beautiful, and simply powerful.
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8 comments. Leave new
Hi Donna! I so-so-so agree with this. You were very fortunate to be raised in a family where it was important. My family wasn’t as focused but I somehow grew up realizing how important it is to laugh and do my best to include it every day. And even better, there are now lots of studies out that show how good it is for our bodies as well as our hearts, minds and souls. Thank you for starting my day out in such a good way. ~Kathy
Kathy – Thank you so much for your response. And I’m glad you had a family that laughed – there’s no greater gift, I think.
There is NOTHING like a belly laugh to really make you feel good! We do that all the time here at home.
I know, Carol . . . one guffaw (as my husband calls it) can cure so many ills.
I’m going to take your suggestions, I just don’t laugh enough anymore. I remember when I was young and hanging out with girlfriends, laughing until our stomachs ached and we peed our pants. Once, in camp, my girlfriend entered our pitch black cabin, grabbed for the string to pull the light on but grabbed a fly paper strip instead. She got a fist full of sticky and dead flies. We laughed for hours.
Anita
Anita – that is a GREAT story. Thank you for the laugh – I read this last night and laughed for 5 minutes.
Laughter is always the very best medicine. I always say laugh lines are so much more attractive than frown lines!
That is SO true, Rena! I never thought of that . . .