Wow, today has been a DAY.  Actually, it has been a whole week!  A dear friend was told her cancer has returned.  My minivan decided to break down.  My husband was out of town taking care of his aging parents, so I was left alone to handle everything.  I was emotionally and physically drained, and so was my bank account thanks to the van repairs. 



But, through it all, I remember my father (who has been gone almost six years now) saying to me, “Some gotta win, some gotta lose.”  And, some days, we just lose.  That’s the nature of life.  So, knowing that those plot twists can be around any corner, we find ways to cope.  I have found in my aging years that a good sense of humor can cure a lot of things. 

In fact, studies show the health benefits associated with a good belly laugh.  It improves blood flow and can reduce the risk of heart disease.  Chuckling can reduce stress and relax the body.  Laughter releases endorphins, which are natural feel-good chemicals that can temporarily relieve pain.  It boosts our immune system, elevates our mood, and even oxygenates our bodies.  It would appear that laughter really is good medicine. 

One trait that I loved about my father was his sense of humor.  I can still hear his laugh, contagious as it was.  He would tell me not to take life so seriously or myself, for that matter.  I have found that surrounding myself with friends who make me laugh is such a gift.  Especially, the ones who I probably shouldn’t sit next to at a serious function where giggling is not appropriate. After spending awhile doubled over and crying from laughing so hard, I leave feeling a hundred times better than I did prior to my time with them. Plus, my facial cheeks and abs have gotten a good workout, too!

I love that God designed us all to have our own unique laughs, as well.  They are distinctive to each individual person and all sound so different.  Some of my dear friends and family members who have passed away will still be remembered by the way they sounded when they laughed.  Music to my ears!  And, of course, who doesn’t love the sweet sound of a baby’s laughter?  That always puts a smile on my face!

It's not to say that we just laugh and let everything roll off our backs.  Life can throw punches that hurt, badly.  There is a time for sorrow and woe.  Grief is real and it stings.  But, once the pity party is over, it’s time for a praise party!  In the Bible, God brought laughter out of sadness.  Take for instance in Job 8:21, it says “He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”  If anyone had much to have angst about, it was Job!  And, in Psalm 126:2, it says “We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.”  God created laughter and it is for mere delight. 

So, the next time you trip on that curb and feel like a fool, accidently burn the meal, discover you had spinach in your teeth while you were having a conversation with someone, or accidentally turned left when you were supposed to turn right, just laugh. Let it out!  Smile ear to ear because, typically, things can always be much worse, right?  And, in the grand scheme of things, will those little things that we thought were so big at the time, really matter 100 years from now?  As mothers, our kids are watching us, so what better way to model for them how to handle mistakes or mishaps?  By not making a big deal out of something that truly isn’t. Teach them there is a wrong way and right way to react when things don’t go as expected (news flash, most of the time they won’t).  You can fly off the handle or you can take things in stride and laugh.  With laughter being as healthy as the medical studies show, it just might add a few more years to our lives!  Which goes to show, sometimes, laughter just really is the best medicine.