Whose Got the Funny?

Did you know that one good belly laugh will release enough of the good/happy chemicals in our body to last over four hours? Isn't that really cool!

Where did I learn about this laugh fact? I used to attend an awesome class led by an awesome psychiatrist, Dr. Terry. He was one of the psychiatrists who helped pick the first astronauts to go to the moon. Dr. Terry is a remarkable man with tons of information on how to live healthy and NASA still calls Dr. Terry periodically for his wise counsel.

Dr. Terry would always start each class with jokes. He taught us that a good joke never puts down someone else instead a good joke can make fun of the ridiculousness of life, be a play on words etc. I have learned that it is good to surround oneself with people who are happy and funny in a kind way. One of the happiest people I know is my youngest son, Stephen. He can make anyone laugh the belly laugh!

Stephen is 12-yrs-old and he just got a buzz cut so his hair is super short. This morning when we had our first hug of the day I told him, "Your hair's messy". So, he looked in the mirror only to realize that he basically has no hair to get messy. We laughed our first belly laugh of the day together and it feels reeeally good!

Anyone can develop a good sense of humor and to create a happy day all it takes is at least three or four good, healthy belly laughs throughout the day.

When my daughter and I have a "Girls Day Out" we inevitably end up laughing hysterically about something to the point where we can barely breathe and tears are coming out of our eyes. I guess those times are really what has bonded us together so strongly that nothing can come between us even though we are SO different and can easily rub each other the wrong way. It is the laughter that we share that keeps our hearts soft towards each other.

One other person who I get a real kick out of is my bestest friend, Sue. We talk on the phone with each other every Monday for hours and no matter what we talk about we find ourselves laughing from the tip of our toes enough to keep us in good spirits for the rest of the week (well it doesn't really work like that but it starts the week off right).

One last thing... when was the last time you created a good joke that could at least make you snicker? Here's one I came up with, "Why did the rabbit cross the road? To find better Hip-Hop". Well, it may not get your belly rolling but it's a start.

Got Laughs?

Rebecca