Laughing stirs up the blood, expands the chest, electrifies the nerves, clears away the cobwebs from the brain, and gives the whole system a cleansing rehabilitation. Anonymous (Meditations for People Who [May] Worry Too Much, by Anne Wilson Schaef)
One tablespoon of laughter a day...keeps the blues away. I think April should be declared National Humor Month; after all, we start right off with April Fool's Day.
My husband recently retired. As a surprise I gave him a small boat suitable for fishing in the river. He stored it at our son-in-law and daughter's residence. Their daughter, four-year-old Callie, called Grandpa first thing April 1st. "Hey, Grampa, someone stole your boat." Grandpa's are good at playing along, even if it's early in the morning, he made the appropriate sputters and shouts as she yelled, "April Fool!"
Scientists tell us that laughter changes our brain chemistry...just as anxiety and worry do. What power we have...the power to change our brain!
Dawn (Customer Service Supervisor)
and Carolyn, like to laugh every
chance they get.
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In case you thought this was a new idea: "The 17th century physician Thomas Sydenham pointed out that "the arrival of a good clown exercises more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than 200 asses laden with drugs." The Pleasure Prescription, by Paul Pearsall, Ph.D.
Research in recent years reports that those with a good sense of humor experience less stress and better overall health. Their immune systems are cooking and stress has a lesser effect on them.
Have you ever experienced an uncontrollable attack of giggles? My mom and I used to have that happen at the dinner table. She sat at one end of the table and I at the other and for no apparent reason we would start. My dad would smile for about one minute and then get disgusted with us. Maybe he thought we were laughing at him or perhaps thought it was impolite table manners. No matter how I feared his disapproval, I could not stop laughing. My sides would hurt, I thought for sure I'd wet my pants, tears rolled down my cheeks and I thought I'd suffocate from not being able to catch my breathe. My brain would say, "Stop...there is nothing to laugh at here." I'd suck my cheeks in and bite the insides to prevent my laughter muscles from engaging but all that had to happen was a glance at mom and off we would go again.
It seems that this kind of laugh attack happens at the most solemn of times. I have embarrassed myself in church, at funeral home visitations and conferences, but I decided long ago that it was better than crying at the circus!
Perhaps I'll get lucky today and get TWO tablespoons full!
Carolyn Dickman
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