“One day we will look back on all this and laugh.”
—Quite a few people over the years
There’s nothing like laughter to turn your day around.
Do you have people in your life who make you laugh? Can you laugh at yourself? Do you make an effort to make sure laughter is as much a part of your life as work, family, and food?
Life as we know it can be challenging—with worries about career and children and parents and health and finances. Laughter is the best thing I’ve found to let the air out of any situation that feels heavy.
I’m very lucky, because my kids and their friends make me laugh all the time. One of my daughters is a genius at sending me funny videos. They lighten and brighten my day, and I keep asking for more. I have one friend who writes the funniest emails. They make me laugh so hard that I’ve created a special folder for them, so I can read them over and over. I have a few friends I can call on who, no matter the situation, can see something funny in it. Always.
I also have a few favorite films I can turn to that, no matter how many times I watch them, always make me laugh: Wedding Crashers, Knocked Up, Bridesmaids, Stepbrothers—just to give you an idea of what makes me laugh.
Laughter is a gift we give ourselves. Make sure you keep including it in your life, no matter how old you get, no matter how much your knees and your back hurt. Laughing at yourself changes how you physically feel. The power of laughter heals, rejuvenates, resets our spirits, and brightens our outlook. Don’t let it slip away.
Dear God, thank you for the joy I have in my life. Thank you for the gift of laughter, how it lightens my heart. Help me to be a messenger of joy for others, and help me to laugh at myself. Amen.