The Gift of Laughter

I spent last evening with new friends Bart, Eden, Morgan, & Irene. The Garihans live in a beautiful home north of town, with a spectacular view of the forests and mountains. We enjoyed tri-tip (hey, you know the night's going to be good when steak is on the menu!). I had fun with their cats & dogs. But the very best part of the evening was the laughter. We spent a couple of hours sharing stories, getting to know each other, and laughing. Good, honest, tears-in-your-eyes laughter.

I've decided that laughter is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. There's a lot of research about how healthy it is to laugh a lot. Laughter activates our immune system by increasing the number and activity of the killer cells that attack viruses and some cancers, and by increasing our activated T-cells in general. Laughter increases the antibody immunoglobulin A which fights respiratory problems. It increases immunoglobulin B and Complement 3 which pierce dysfuntional or infected cells. Laughter lowers epinephrine and dopamine levels (even anticipating laughter can have this effect), which in turn reduces stress, curbs the "fight or flight" response, and pulls down elevated blood pressure. Laughter is aerobic and increases the use of oxygen. Some studies suggest that laughter enhances the body's ability to fight disease and reduces the awareness of pain.

But beyond all that, laughter is just a great experience. It feels good to laugh. Life is better when we laugh a lot. Laughter almost feels holy. I imagine that Jesus laughed a lot (at least the crusty old Pharisees seemed to have a problem with how Jesus enjoyed life and parties). And I wonder if God laughed when he whipped up the first ostrich or platypus, or when little children pray with such innocence and profundity, or whenever any of us attempt to tell God what we have planned for ourselves.

All I know is it feels good to laugh again after the painful experiences in my life last fall. Laughter is coming freely these days, and I thank God for the incredible gift.