Two Hundred Laughs

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)

James Dobson, in his book, Night Light, writes that “it’s been said that the average child laughs two hundred times a day, while the typical adult laughs only four times every twenty-four hours. So, what has happened to us grown-ups? Maybe it has something to do with those grueling hours at the office, long lines at the grocery store, and piles of bills on the kitchen counter.”

In my marriage I’ve learned that the one sure way to get through troubling times is to laugh. We can recall a funny incident in our past, and laughter will instantly transform our tension to smiles.

One of my favorite stories is the time we flew to New York to take part in an award ceremony for our work. We had just taken off and the attendants were serving drinks and a snack. The snack was one of our favorites: chips and salsa. As we were opening our snack, my husband leaned over to me and said smugly, “Be careful when you open your salsa or else it will …” SPLAT!

Just as he opened his salsa it did exactly what he was warning me about – splattered all over his white dress shirt. Of course, we laughed at the sight of bright red salsa dripping down his shirt, but the funniest part was hearing the same thing happen all over the plane.

Apparently, the sealed packages of salsa were affected by the cabin pressure, causing them to explode when opened, and we heard our fellow passengers’ cries of dismay all around us. We laughed about the incident off and on through that whole trip.

Life can be tiresome or tense or downright tragic, but every situation can be improved if we would just remember to laugh. I’m thankful that I have a large collection of laughable memories, and each day brings new opportunities to make more. Our lives would improve greatly if, like a child, we could laugh two hundred times a day.

Thank You, God, for the gift of laughter. Help me to be like a child and see each moment as fun and exciting. Thank You for the good medicine found in a cheerful heart. Amen.