Laughter.

Sunflowers never fail to make me smile. In fact while out cycling the other week there I passed a whole field of sunflowers not only did they make me smile I can swear that I laughed. I am happy to say that the road I was cycling down was empty of any other person so there was nobody there to suggest that maybe I was losing the plot.

On the other hand yesterday I visited the local store. There were a group of young people in the store each trying to decide what the treat for the day was to be. One of them said something I did not hear but they all burst out into happy laughter. Then one of them pointed to one of the other girls and made a comment about her funny laughter. I knew instantly what that young girl was feeling. When I was younger I had a hearty laugh but when I started working one person tried to give me a nickname because of my laugh. I felt that I never wanted to laugh again. Instead I quietly said to him, "At least I seem to be happy at my work, which is more than you seem to be." 

I was walking with my father one day I was told him about this. His words were fast and simple, "Never stop people doing two things no matter how badly they do them, Laughing or singing. Just rejoice in their happiness."

Some people think laughter is a waste of time. It is a luxury, they say, a frivolity, something to indulge in only every so often.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Laughter is essential to our equilibrium, to our well-being, to our aliveness. If we’re not well, laughter helps us get well; if we are well, laughter helps us stay that way.

Since some ground-breaking subjective work, scientific studies have shown that laughter has a curative effect on the body, the mind and the emotions.

So, if you like laughter, consider it sound medical advice to indulge in it as often as you can. 

If you don’t like laughter, then take your medicine – laugh anyway.

Use whatever makes you laugh – movies, sitcoms, for me Monty Python, records, books,  cartoons, jokes, and above all friends.

Give yourself permission to laugh – long and loud and out loud – whenever anything strikes you as funny. 

The people around you may think you’re strange, but sooner or later they’ll join in even if they don’t know what you’re laughing about.

Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as much as laughter. 

What made me laugh yesterday. It was a picture posted on a friends FB. It was our new foreign secretary settling into his job. he was sitting looking at his computer and asking, "Where has Rhodesia gone?" 

Have a laughter filled day. I wonder what will make me laugh today I have a feeling I know.