Laughter truly is the best medicine...

I absolutely love to laugh (I don't like being tickled though - that just hurts). I mean, the kind of laugh that hurts your stomach to a point where you are begging for the story or the video to stop. This is the best of laughs - the guffaw from the depths of your being. You are likely thinking of a moment, right now, where you remember laughing at this hard. I even laugh when I see others laughing, unless it's one of those weird snort kind of laughs. I especially love to see toddlers and infants laugh. Their laughter is so real and out of control that you just join in. America's Funniest Home Videos has some great clips of children laughing like this - at bubbles, at a funny noise from their Dad, at a dog, at a funny face, etc...

This kind of laughter puts everything else out of your mind and you think of nothing but the humor of that situation. It's unbounded joy (even if it's temporary) that helps you get over whatever pain you are gong through. I think laughter belongs in most every situation in life. It's needed in church, in the workplace, in a speech, in a financial crisis, after a painful surgery, during a time of discouragement, and even during a funeral. We are way too solemn during the hard times and forget the importance and power of laughter and a smile. Even when I'm sad or hurt or disappointed, I want to laugh and I need to laugh. Personally, my funeral better be more like a clean stand up comedy routine, because I don't want folks to cry. Of course, there may be jubilation just because I'm gone, so laughter may be an automatic.

Lessons Learned: Don't go through any day, or even hour, without some laughter and a smile. 

Thoughts: When was the last time you had a hard belly laugh?