by Bob Romero
We have all heard that “Laughter is the best medicine”. Norman Cousins cured himself with laughter from a life threatening disease by watching old Marx Brothers movies and reruns of “Candid Camera”. There are articles on the Internet describing how laughter is good for us scientifically. It releases endorphins for our brains that make us feel good. There have been a few studies with positive results, although pharmaceutical companies aren’t inclined to do them, as there is no profit. Laughter is free, and there are no harmful side effects, except maybe a sore stomach from laughing.
Laughter is not only good for us physically, but it also good for us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When I was at my 50th high school reunion, most of the memories shared were from funny events or situations, that helped us form bonds that lasted a lifetime. When I worked for corporations, the popular thing to do was to have team building events. Those usually were not very successful, but the teams in which we were always laughing and joking, brought us together and made us much more productive. Members were willing to help each other out and were more willing to do extra work in order to get the job done. I had a director who always did a Joe Pesci impersonation when we said that he was funny. It never got old. It was much more fun to go to work where there were smiling faces and camaraderie.
There is a quote “Laugh and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone” from Ella Wheeler’s poem “Solitude”. That’s because people want to be around other people that are happy instead of around those that are sad. It is a lot more pleasant to greet people who have a smile on their face than those who look depressed. Laughter is contagious and especially with people who have a loud distinctive laugh. I call these people, “Laugh Leaders”, because their laughter alone makes us laugh, and makes whatever was said, a lot funnier. The sweetest sound in the world to me is hearing a young child or a baby laughing.
There is another old saying that says, “The family that prays together, will stay together”. I would add “The family who laughs together, would want to be together”. My mother always took it upon herself to entertain everyone around with funny stories. Even at her 99th and a half birthday party, she had us all laughing so hard that I heard other people at the nursing home say, “Those people must really be having a good time”. I still have fond memories of my dad’s funny little sayings and his made up jokes. They must have made the rounds because I’ve seen a few in print.
There’s also another saying which is “Laughter is good for the soul”, which I think means that laughter brings us to our center, and helps us cope with challenging situations. It can also mean that laughter raises our spirits and our energy, which in turn raises our vibration. Maybe all of these old sayings about laughter are messages from Spirit telling us something on how to heal ourselves on all levels. Maybe when this concept is medically accepted, and when you call your doctor for medical advice, your doctor will tell you “Watch two funny videos, and call me in the morning”.
Bob Romero has been a diligent student of esoteric spiritual subjects and metaphysics for many years, with a life-long quest for answers. He has submitted new and original articles that focus on life lessons and experiences he wishes to share with our readers and the world.
