Proverbial Wisdom

- The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

- Jay Leno, “You can’t stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh.”

- You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

ILL.- Someone said, “As young children we were encouraged to humor. We played; we laughed. Too soon, however, we were told to ‘grow up,’ ‘stop kidding’ and ‘act our age’ and the humor inside withered. Life is serious stuff, you see. Now we laugh too little.”

Some want to change that. One such person was the long-time editor of the Saturday Evening Review, Norman Cousins. Cousins has written many books, but his fascinating story on humor and hope is included in his book, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient.

In 1964 Cousins developed a debilitating disease, ankylosing spondylitis. Doctors gave him only one chance in 500 of recovery. Cousins wanted to mobilize the entire resources of his body to fight it. Later he described laughter as the "greatest apothecary available," because it mobilizes the brain to fight disease.

After discussion with his doctor about options, he was told he could increase his vitamin C intake and take aspirin liberally.

He also chose liberal doses of Laurel and Hardy, "Candid Camera," Marx Brothers’ films and numerous other amusing movies. To his delight, Cousins discovered that just 10 minutes of genuine belly laughing had an anesthetic effect that provided him with two hours of pain-free sleep.

"Even if we find that laughter produces no specific biochemical changes," Cousins said, "it does accomplish one essential purpose. It tends to help a person cope with apprehension and even panic that all too frequently accompany serious illness."

Cousins said, “Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations.”

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Good laughter is good medicine. It lifts the human spirit, both the giver and the receiver. It is a form of ministering to one another. Many people have told me, “I can’t preach and I can’t teach.” BUT WE ALL CAN LAUGH.

As Clint Eastwood said in one of his movies, “Make my day.” I would add to it and say, “MAKE MY DAY. MAKE ME LAUGH.”