Laugh, Laughter, Laughing

To laugh is the act of manifesting joy or mirth while emitting sounds (like cackling, guffawing, and ho, ho..ing) and  making happy faces.  We always seem to feel we have to be doing something useful to justify our existence, but we can, and should, allow relaxation, enthusiasm, and delight into our lives.  We can learn to enjoy life and be happy, it's better than isolating and being miserable.  When we accept enjoyment as a part of our lives, we can discover that it is fun to be us.  Right now, stop reading this and laugh, hard to do, isn't it?  But remember next time you get a chance to laugh, cackle, guffaw, or giggle, do it.  Tomorrow, April Fool's Day, may be the day. April Fool's Day is a light hearted day of unknown origins where throughout the Western world, people send each other on "fool's errands" looking for things that don't exist, and playing pranks and practical jokes trying to get others to believe in ridiculous things.  Since we are spirited and alive, what can we bring out of ourselves so that we can be happy and laugh about life?  Well, we can set our sights on celebrations, vacations, and joyous occasions, or on little things like the laughter of our children, the purr of our kitties, or the wagging of our dogs' tails.  It sounds strange, but it helps to develop a playful attitude toward our problems and handle them with a light touch. Laughter can save the day and soothe us, and others, in tense situations.  We should look at the bright side of our difficulties, as good comes out of everything even when it seems to be the darkest. Impersonal contemplation of our challenges is the secret to laughter and perspective.  We need to learn to laugh at ourselves, have fun, and meet each day with a sense of humor.  Humor is a message whose ingenuity and/or incongruity have the power to evoke laughter.  There are even classes where people are coached  to laugh because it is so healthy. Laughter is the best medicine for a long and healthy life, literally and figuratively.  Patch Adams is both a medical doctor and a clown. He believed that laughter, joy, and creativity are an integral part of the healing process; and therefore, true health care must incorporate those aspects of life.  Patch Adams has devoted his life to the study of what makes people happy and laugh.  The very best part of laughing and laughter is that we can take them wherever we go, and remember, "He who laughs last, laughs, best,"  Italian proverb