“Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” – Mark Twain

While driving home from the grocery store last week, I saw a bumper sticker on my friend Marianne’s car that read “Laugh More”. Of course Marianne would have this on her bumper. She is one of the most beautiful, positive, light-hearted people you will ever meet.  When you are in Marianne’s company, a sense that the world is perfect just the way it is washes over you like a gentle wave.  And yes, you usually find yourself smiling and laughing.

This bumper sticker got me thinking about how seriously we take life at times and how it can be detrimental to our health and happiness. It is so easy to get locked into our daily routines and expectations. When something goes “wrong” we become unglued, frustrated and angry. Rigid in our adult roles, we lose our sense of humor and levity. When you walk down the street, how many people do you see with a smile on their face? I have observed that many have a hard, tight face with steely eyes. Very serious indeed. I wonder how often they have a good laugh? My guess is not often enough.

When I hear the children in my neighborhood laughing, a smile comes to my face. It makes me feel good. It is the most natural thing to do, so why don’t adults laugh more often? At what point did we lose our ability to truly enjoy ourselves and express our happiness? With all the serious issues facing our country and countries all over the globe, people may ask what there is to laugh about. No doubt there are serious matters to be resolved, but why give in to despair? A gloomy outlook serves no purpose and usually makes things seem much worse than they are.

 Do you remember the last time you had a really big belly laugh? Do you remember how good you felt afterward?  If you don’t, try to be a little less serious about yourself and your life. Have some fun and laugh more.