Walking through the park yesterday, I heard one of the purest and sweetest sounds on earth. A little girl who was feeding bread to the “ducklings” was so delighted with her experience that she clapped her hands and laughed. For me, there is something in the laughter of children that comes to me like few experiences in life. Innocent, spontaneous, a child’s laughter, like a magical fountain, seems to well up from deep within and cascade down the child’s eyes and cheeks. There is simply no one more alive than a laughing child. No matter how preoccupied I am with my own worries, my problems are forgotten and I have to smile too.
While there is something special about a child’s laughter, an adult’s laughter can also be contagious. The great Russian writer, Dostoevsky, once advised girls looking for a suitable husband not to worry unduly about their appearance or its wealth. “You’ll get better results if you just see him laugh; if he laughs well, he’s a good man.”
Maybe Dostoevsky has something. People capable of laughing out loud (especially at their own expense) probably don’t take themselves too seriously. A man with a sense of humor will understand that the world is not perfect and that people sometimes make mistakes. Appreciating the funny side of life, they don’t tend to stress over the little things. A dad who can laugh at himself won’t be too hard on his children. It will be easier to live with a husband with a good sense of humor.
Doctors tell us that the very act of laughing releases the body’s natural pain-killing endorphins. Laughter relaxes our muscles, makes us feel better about ourselves and our universe. Of all God’s creatures, only humans have the ability to laugh. It is a great gift and leads to use it in good health throughout our lives. So even if you’re not looking for a spouse, read a good joke book, watch a funny movie, or just observe human nature. There is a lot to laugh about both in oneself and in others. Let’s go now. Don’t leave all that fun to the kids. How about a big smile?
