“A sense of humour…is needed armour. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.”
Hugh Sidey 1927-2005, Journalist
Let us face it, without love, life would be pretty gloomy. And, even more so, without laughter, it would be unbearable. Life can get too serious, too often. We may take ourselves too seriously, too often. As Oscar Wilde so aptly put forth “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” That being said, because life IS too important, it is imperative to lighten our load. And, there is a reason why we have heard it said that laughter is the best medicine, there is sometimes nothing better than a good laugh. Learn to laugh at yourself, learn to laugh with others, and most of all use your sense of humor as armor, a weapon to fight off the doldrums. It will work every time. Ever feel the world on your shoulders, only to call your best friend who with the skill of an amateur comedian is able to give you some levity by helping you see your predicament in a humorous light? Ever feel like you cannot take the heaviness of current events, only to be invited to go see a comedy that has you on the ground in stitches and forgetting what had you upset in the first place? Ever feel the weight of certain challenges in your life, only to be guided by your intuition to turn around your perspective by pointing out that it could be much worse and then laughing at the idea that you needed to think of the end of the world to make yourself feel better? This is what laughter and a sense of humor can do for you. It can add years to your life, and add joy to your days. It is no mystery that we all want to be in the sunshine, especially when the sunshine is brought into our lives through other people. Even in our darkest moments, surrounding ourselves with the sunshine that radiates from others wrapped in laughter, can lift anyone up from our self-created abyss. I know that it is hard when you feel depressed to believe that it is possible to laugh again. But, rest assured, with practice, day by day, with the joy that you expose yourself to, you will once again find that hidden smile just waiting to emerge. Laughter is contagious. And, as long as we do surround ourselves with others who have a pretty good grasp of life, one where there is joy in the heart and laughter on the lips, we will eventually become one of those people we emulate. With more laughter in the here and now, what a wonderful world this could be!
