I love to laugh and because I love to laugh, I would like to bring a smile to your face and apply some medicine to your heart. There have been times when I have laughed at myself and at my circumstances and was able to bring laughter to others as well. I hope this short story will bring at least a smile to your face.
Sometimes we take life way too seriously. We have been taught to run through our lives with such a speed we have no time to laugh. I remember reading that children laugh over 300 times in a day when adults laugh less than 15 times. 15! What happens to us when we grow up! If you are down, laughing aloud may seem impossible. You may even look at laughing people and feel they are inconsiderate and loud. But if you are one of the laughing groups, you'd never think that. I hear the real saints of today are the ones who make you laugh. They give you the best gift - the gift of joy. They really show laughter is the best medicine.
One beautiful sunny day, while living in Southern California, I had just taken my married daughter to her home, dropped her off and was returning to the church where my pastor/husband was patiently waiting to take me to lunch. The wind was a major factor living in the high desert and blew constantly. On this particular day, I was not paying attention to the blowing wind, I was just enjoying life while driving down the road.
The street I was traveling on was a large street with a continuing downward slope and on the west side of the road was an elementary school. As I passed by, I saw the children playing outside at recess. All of a sudden, a ball came over the fence and my first impulse was to stop the van and retrieve the ball for the children. So, I did! I stopped the van, jumped out and headed towards the ball. Unfortunately, I was dressed in a skirt, nylons and non-running shoes. As I walked around the front of the van to get the ball, the wind caught the ball causing it to roll faster and faster down the street. I started to jog after the ball which was unusual for me–––being the non-runner that I was. (Remember the downward slop of the street?) With all the children on the playground watching me, I began to pick up speed as I continued after the ball. I could feel myself leaning forward and now knew my feet could not run any faster. The pull of the downward grade had a grip on me. Then it happened! I lost control and fell on the side of the road. It wasn't a pretty sight, my skirt flew up over the back of my head, I ripped my nylons, scraped my knee, cut open my hand and my chin on the asphalt curb. By this time, the children on the playground were hanging on the fence watching the funny lady in a skirt–––WIPE-OUT! OUCH! As I limped back to my van, bleeding and crying, I realized I had lost all pride and self-control on the two-foot asphalt curb. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the children looking at me and no doubt wondering, "Will she get our ball for us"? I'm sure you're wondering the same question and the answer is, NO! I didn't get the ball! My legs and hands were shaking from the trauma of the fall and it took all my strength to hoist myself back up into the big sixteen passenger van. I cried all the way to the church and wasn't looking forward to the response of my husband when I arrived.
Laughter is one of the best natural pain-killers in this world. According to a recent study, laughter can lower risks of a heart attack by a LOT. Laughter also reduces stress, therefore lowering blood pressure. That's a whole lot of health benefits just from laughing! It produces happy chemicals in the body called endorphins which work in the brain to give an overall feeling of well-being.