What's So Funny?

Did you know that on the average, a child laughs 200 times a day, and the on the average, an adult laughs only 15 times per day?

Do you like to laugh? I don't mean just a regular old, "Ha ha ha," but a good, old-fashioned belly laugh that makes your throat hurt and your eyes run with tears! I'm not a hilariously funny person, but my husband can be and so can my kids--at least to me.  My husband can mimic almost anyone. When he talks about Ronald Reagan, he sounds just like Ronald Reagan. When he talks about Bill Clinton, you would think that you're hearing directly from the former president himself. He also mimics John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elvis Presley, and even Jesse Jackson just to name a few. My daughter Jessica is always very appropriate in public and although she is not necessarily shy, she doesn't always show her humorous side to just anybody, but when the mood strikes her, she can strike a totally ridiculous conversation in the most perfect English accent. James, William, and Keith all have their fair share of humor and wit too. I love to hear my newly turned 13 year-old son laugh from way deep inside while watching Abbott and Costello in the movie "Hold That Ghost." Keith's belly laugh makes Daryl and I laugh right along with him. Our whole family likes  to laugh and likes to look for the humor in everyday life.

Sometimes things just strike me funny. Like last night at church my husband was saying that we don't keep catalogs at our house. He said that during the Christmas holidays parents get the catalogs with all the toys in them, and the kids turn into "lusting freaks." I don't why, but the words "lusting freaks" just struck me as hilariously funny, and I could barely keep my face from contorting with laughter. As I looked around around me, I don't think anyone else thought that "lusting freaks" were so funny, but for some reason I certainly did!

Sometimes I plan to laugh on purpose. That's when I usually turn to something I know will make me laugh--like Christian comedian Tim Hawkins. I don't care how many times I have heard him tell the same bit, he causes me to laugh until my stomach hurts! I love hearing someone who is funny and family friendly. I also love the old "I Love Lucy" shows too. I have probably seen every episode of "I Love Lucy" at least 5 times each, but they never get old to me.

I have a couple of friends and my mom who send me funny emails almost on a daily basis. I love opening the cartoons, funny pictures, or humorous stories that they send.  I always try to forward the things that make me laugh out loud in order to share the fun.

Did you know that there is something called "laughter therapy"?  Laughter therapy is used to help people cope with chronic illness.  Laughter has been shown to decrease stress hormones, increase "feel good" hormones, reduce pain, and even help strengthen the immune system.  Laughter has been shown to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol, and it even helps people to deal with emotional distress. 

The Bible says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine":  The medical field is now employing what God gave as gave as truth a few thousand years ago.  Isn't it funny how science always eventually catches up with God's word?

If you're feeling sick, or a little down, or discouraged, I would love to encourage you to laugh on purpose. Wouldn't it be so cool to laugh 200 times a day like a child does? Imagine what that would do for your health and for your emotions! I think I'm going to work on bringing a little laughter therapy into my life even more often!