I think one of my favorite things about my family is how much we laugh together. Yesterday, I spent a beautiful (and increasingly rare, as our family grows up and out) day with all of my family members and some extended family members, too. The common theme and thread of the day, no matter what we were doing whether it be eating, or talking or playing games, was laughing. We crack each other up. We’re silly. We’re teasers. We laugh hard. We laugh loud. We laugh together and often.
Laughter has been proven by science to decrease stress hormones, lower one’s blood pressure, increase the release of endorphins and strengthen the immune system. Some studies suggest that if you laugh often, you may even increase your life span by a significant amount. Laughter really is the best medicine. Honestly, though, even if I found out it were bad for me, I wouldn’t stop laughing. It feels too good. I am so grateful to be surrounded by loved ones, who find life and those who live it, to be as amusing as I do.
“A good laugh is sunshine in the house.” – William Thackeray
“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.” — W. H. Auden
“As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul.” — A Jewish Proverb