Laughter is an essential aspect of life. A day in which we don’t laugh is a day that is diminished, and a day lacking a vital ingredient of life. Laughter helps us release the built up tension and stress that is part of living at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It brings happiness and joy into our mundane lives. It is an essential constituent in building lasting, meaningful relationships. Laughter can in a moment change the entire atmosphere in a room from one of tension and disunity to one of goodwill and harmony. Laughter is contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others bringing about positive results enlivening the atmosphere. It has frequently been said that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ and there is much truth this old saying. Certainly, it is good for us both physically and emotionally. As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but an adult’s life tends to be more serious and laughter more infrequent. By seeking out more opportunities for humour and laughter, we can improve our emotional health, strengthen our relationships, find greater happiness, and even add years to our lives.
As a student in Bible College, some forty-plus years ago, I would occasionally go into our small college library on an evening during exam time when everyone was studying hard and somewhat uptight, and just for the fun of it, I would just start to laugh. Nobody had a clue what I was laughing about, but within a matter of a few seconds, everyone would begin to laugh uproariously so that they were rolling around clinging to their desks and chairs with tears streaming down their faces. After two or three minutes the laughter would gradually die down, but the result was the tension was released, and everyone was in a much healthier state to get down to their exam preparation. We all need to laugh more and make laughter an essential ingredient of our daily lives.