Choir Notes

A Dose of Good Humor
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered by: Lloyd D. Newell . Program 4142

An elderly woman was once asked the secret of her long, successful marriage. She said that when she first got married she decided to make a list of 10 of her husband's bad habits and promised to overlook them. When pressed about what those 10 habits were, she admitted, "I never got around to making that list." But whenever her husband did something that made her angry, she'd just say, "Lucky for him—that one is on the list!"1

From great leaders to everyday folks, people through the ages have use humor to cope with life's ups and downs. They've learned that being lighthearted can help them keep problems in perspective and take setbacks in stride. By laughing even at themselves, they help others see that we're all prone to make mistakes now and then.

Looking at life with a smile also draws others to us who appreciate our cheery outlook. Laughter is contagious, and sharing it over mutual predicaments brings us closer to one another and makes the load lighter to bear.

For years scientists have told us that laughter is wonderful medicine. It reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, improves brain function, and boosts our immune system. But it's also great medicine for the soul.

The best part is that unlike some types of medical treatment, a sense of humor is absolutely free and available to everyone. Each of us was born with it—within weeks of birth, infants begin to smile, and within months they laugh out loud.2

But as we get older, laughter can sometimes get buried under the pressures and demands of life. If you haven't laughed in a while, seek out people who've learned to take themselves less seriously. Smile more. Look for the funny side of things. A happy disposition shortens the distance to laughter, and laughter is one medicine that we all need from time to time.

1 In Fred Lowery, Covenant Marriage: Staying Together for Life (2003), 221.
2 See Leslie Lindeman, Gina Kemp, and Jeanne Segal, "Humor, Laughter and Health: Bringing More Humor and Laughter into Our Lives," Sept. 2007, http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm.