A Laugh a Day

1. Spend time with several people whose humor you appreciate, people who have made you laugh in the past.
It’s not clear why, but laughter is contagious. One study shows that
gathered groups laugh 30 times as often as people who are alone. And
people laugh more at television shows with laugh tracks than at the
same shows without the canned laughter.

2. Go to the ballpark and watch 6-year-olds play T-ball.
Their shirts and pants barely fit. All the hats are too big for their
tiny heads. And when someone hits a ball, everyone chases after it,
pounces on it, wrestles for it and when someone finally pulls free, he
or she will hold it high like a trophy and then fling it as hard as he
can in whatever direction he happens to have come up for air. And if
the ball should land in the grass again, the whole gang gets up and
stampedes for a second time (and even a third if necessary).

But the kids seem to love to play the game that way. On
the way home after many games, my son, Zach, would be drinking his free
drink and licking the powders from a grape Pixie Stix while asking,
“Hey! Did we win?”

3. Rent The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, starring Don Knotts.
My pregnant friend Alison laughed so hard at this movie she went into
labor. (Have you ever seen anyone laugh and scream at the same time?)
We had to pause the VCR and head to the hospital. (And I’m certain it
was not very polite of us to be laughing about this movie while she was
in so much pain.)

4. Watch Andy Griffith reruns. Especially look for the episodes with Floyd.

5. Do something out of the ordinary. Lose your inhibitions and skip down the sidewalk or swing from the old tire swing one more time.

6. Tell someone you trust about one hilarious memory of yours.
Surely you have one, somewhere in there. I understand if you’re
overwhelmed with grief, this may be hard. You may cry before you get to
the laughter.

But just try it. Let the emotions roll down like a river.
I recently read an article about Bill Cosby and a funny moment that
happened at his son’s funeral. Cosby’s daughter had laid a fishing pole
in the casket with her brother, Ennis. Cosby said, “Now he’s going to
heaven, and up there they have the finest fishing poles ever. Don’t
embarrass him by making him drag that old thing up there.”

Do you get the picture? Are you seeking out a laugh or two? Work at it!

If you do, eventually the medicine will work its wonder.
The endorphins will flow, your heart will open and comfort (in the form
of the Spirit) will enter.

Sometimes when I’m sitting on a plane, I think of
something that made me laugh once before and I laugh again. I do the
same thing when I’m walking through a grocery store or filling the
dishwasher.

You see, I collect laughs like others collect marbles or
butterflies. I mean that in two ways: I collect the sounds of laughter;
but I also collect the memories that make for repeated laughter.

It works like this. On a particularly happy day author
Henri Nouwen wrote in his journal, which later became known as The
Genesee Diary: “I hope that the day will come when the memory of my
present joy will give me the strength to keep giving even when
loneliness gnaws at my heart.”

He wanted “the memory of [his] present joy” to help him
get through some future bleak days. He knew the storm clouds would
return. They always do.

Maybe you can start your own collection of laughs. This
very day you can do something that will add to your permanent
collection of pleasant, laugh-worthy memories. Remember, there is no
child-proof cap on this bottle. And there are unlimited refills.

So when was the last time you had a good laugh? When was
the last time you got those old endorphins flowing? It’s time to take
your medicine.

Chonda Pierce is a comedian, inspirational speaker and
author. She has appeared frequently at Women of Faith and Aspiring
Women Conferences.