Sometimes, You Just Have to Laugh

There’s something special about laughter. A good laugh can not only brighten your day, it gives you the strength to get through it.

Life is a jerk. If Life is a person, it would be tall and bulky, with a bad haircut, an unbearably smug grin, and an annoying laugh. That’s certainly the impression one can get when you receive unexpected bills in the mail or your brand-new car that you just brought home two hours ago and haven’t had a chance to take out for a spin won’t start. Or when you’re cleaning the dishes and your favorite plate slips out of your hands and shatters on the floor. Life sure can be petty, can’t it?

So, what’s the deal with laughing it off? You can’t laugh off everything, right? True, but sometimes a good chuckle is good medicine. It takes the edge off your tension and helps you gather yourself to persevere through a tough time. Laughter can help you overcome difficulty. It’s like a shot of coffee – it gives you the pep you need.

There’s humor in our lives if you know where to look. Often, I find you just need to let go of your ego.

Laughing at ourselves. Now THERE’S something that takes Life off-guard. If Life, with its obnoxious grin, sees you laughing at your own antics and not taking things too seriously, it really takes away Life’s thunder, doesn’t it? And there it stands, dumbfounded that you’re not squashed by the difficulties and the trials, being content and joyful for a change, and Life realizes it really is just a big buffoon with a bad haircut. It sulks away and lets you go about your business.

It’ll come back –irritating little problems always do – but you have laughter on your side. Good humor is like good armor. It helps you weather Life’s next shove.

Laughter’s contagious, too. There aren’t enough good things that are contagious. You start laughing, your friends start laughing, you break down in giggles and hysterics. And for a few moments, problems and worries are pushed aside. There’s just the bond of guffawing over what is no doubt a very silly joke.

Let’s face it: a body can only take so much moping before all that angst builds up and you want to explode. A good cry can work wonders, too. I suspect crying and laughing are secret twins separated at birth. And there is a time for crying, don’t get me wrong. There’s a time for everything. But laughter is a good friend, always there for you in a tight spot. Let’s try not to forget that.

Enjoy what you’re reading? Subscribe by email for updates on new posts and follow my writing career, musings on fiction and storytelling, and reflections about life in general.