Laughter does not come naturally to me.  It’s not that I’m upset or frustrated – I’m simply not a giggly person.  While I rarely LOL (laugh out loud), I do CQTM (chuckle quietly to myself) and consider myself to be happy more often than not.  While my propensity for laughter may be different than others’, there are certainly times in my life when laughter Really Does Matter.

If I happen to be caught in a belly-laugh, I’m likely with my husband, Franklin.

Franklin and I are dorks.  Most people would never believe the silliness that ensues when it’s just the two of us (or our family) behind closed doors.  Whether we’re dancing (and yes, looking the fool), spontaneously creating crazy rhythms or ridiculous lyrics, giving each other a hard time, or making light of each other and/or our crazy kids, we’ve found (as have many who’ve researched the subject) that humor and laughter increase happiness and intimacy.

Franklin and I have also found ourselves laughing uncontrollably in some of life’s most difficult moments.  One in particular comes to mind.

Franklin and I had been married just 11 months when we had a missed-miscarriage diagnosed.  We found ourselves driving home in the middle of the night after a heart-breaking day and a surgical procedure.  I’ll never forget getting tickled over something.  We simultaneously laughed and cried uncontrollably until our sides hurt.

From the outside looking in, our laughter probably looked completely inappropriate.  We certainly weren’t happy about anything that had happened that day, but we believe that laughter in that very moment was a God-sent blessing that helped us.

Physically, laughter triggers a release of endorphins that cause a sense of well being.  Laughter temporarily eases physical pain, boosts energy, decreases stress hormones, strengthens immunity, and improves circulation.

Mentally, laughter keeps us grounded, focused, and alert.  When we laugh, we take ourselves a little less seriously and are able to release our burdens a bit.

Emotionally, laughter fosters positive bonds with others and an optimistic outlook on life.  Humor defuses conflict, buffers stress and disagreements, and helps us relax and recharge.

Laughter really has been very good medicine for our family.  It adds joy to our typical days and has helped us through some of our most difficult.  In what ways do laugh with your loved ones?  Have you found laughter to be healing?  Join the conversation by replying at the top of this post.

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