by Annette Bromley

Created on: April 29, 2008

HUMOR: An Essential Part of Living Our Daily Lives

I'm sure most of us have heard the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine" and it goes without saying that when we have shared a good laugh with someone we all feel better. A day without a smile, a chuckle, a grin, a giggle or two or a downright good belly laugh is a day lived with pain, be it physical or emotional. Laughter, humor, is indeed good medicine. E. E. Cummings once said "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." And I have no doubt but this is true, if we can not laugh over some of the trivial troubles we face in our life, each day, shake it off and move on, then we will live a life filled with depression and sorrow. What is more, laughter is not only good for the soul; it is good for the heart, it helps control your blood pressure. It is good exercise. Laughter is sort of like jogging from the inside out. You can actually lose weight and develop stronger lung and heart as well as stomach muscles by simply laughing. It's the truth. Did you know you use at least fourteen different muscles to laugh?

I don't know about you, but I really don't like to be around folks who are down at the mouth all the time, find nothing but fault with life and living and never seem to be happy, no matter what. I enjoy being around folks who can laugh. W. H. Auden, an Anglo-American Poet and Essayist, said and I have found it to be so; "Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." That is the way it is, people who make us laugh, make us smile are the folks we most enjoy being around, we love them best. Every one of us need a little bit of laughter in our life and if you don't know anyone you can laugh withGo look in the mirror, that is usually worth a laugh or two. I've learned to laugh at myselfso I goof up once in awhile, laugh, put it behind you, learn your lesson and move on. It seems to me that the world has become so serious over every little thing in life that we have forgotten how to live life. Life was not meant to be lived in the shadow of gloom. Try a little laughter and see how quickly and beautifully the sun will break through your clouds.

Laughter is contagious. Try this little exercise sometime if you really want to have a good laughgo into a public place, like your local diner and sit down and order yourself something to drink. When you are served, thank the waitress and giggle, look at your drink and giggle.

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