Laughing Aloud

Just for fun, we've been telling jokes 

during our morning announcements at school.

Last week Mr. Whitlock had a pretty good one:

What happened when the snowman got mad?

It had a melt down.

He's hilarious and he makes me laugh. Every day.

When's the last time you've had a good belly laugh?

Last week I read this article from the writings of the Dalai Lama called

Why I Laugh. And it's good. Really good.

It made me think ... and then want to smile ... 

and then laugh ... out loud!

Sometimes I laugh too loudly, and I get in trouble.

But it feels good, really good, to laugh like that.

It can relieve stress too, ya know, to laugh.

I mean really laugh. Genuinely.

Especially when it's with someone ... 

and not at someone else's expense.

My sister and I laugh. A lot. 

In fact, sometimes we don't even say hello on the phone, 

we just start the conversation with a quick "remember when?"

and a hearty laugh. Really loud and sort of obnoxious.

Because it feels good. To reminisce. And to laugh.

With someone special. About something that connects us.

Sometimes it's about a mistake we made.

Or a goofy memory ... about cow tongue sandwiches ...

or lumpy oatmeal ...  or picking wild asparagus in the ditch.

We find that often our memories are a whole lot funnier

on this side of them.

Or maybe your laughter resulted from watching a funny movie ... 

or taking in a marathon of the Big Bang Theory, 

How I Met Your Mother, 

or {insert your favorite sitcom here} episodes.

Just for kicks.

Comics can be funny, too. 

Calvin and Hobbes used to crack me up. 

So did The Far Side. And Joe Martin's Mr. Boffo.

I found this one circa 1986 and it still tickles my funnybone.

In any event, when is the last time you've really laughed?

Unrestrained milk-through-your-nose, get-hiccups-afterward 

laughter?

Because laughter truly is a sparkler for the soul...

and I've heard it's pretty good medicine, too.