Do not be afraid to laugh.

Those wee birds are back.

I walked past the golf course the other day there and watched as four older gentlemen each played their shots. As they proceeded, I also felt it was safe to move onwards. As they passed closer I asked them if they were having a good game. They replied, "A good game? No, we are only here for the entertainment. We each laugh at the silly shots played by the rest of us so all in all, we all have a good laugh.

There is nothing more infectious than the laugh of another. We really ought not to laugh at the folly of others but in this case, it was all fine because they had all obviously agreed that laughter was better than weeping at the terrible shots being played. 

I often find myself bursting into laughter when reading some witty remarks in some of the books I read. The one I just finished yesterday certainly managed to do that even though it was a fairly serious book making reflections on real-life situations we are all familiar with. 

I came across some notes that had been made by a few friends in letters we had received over the years as ministers.

I'm writing this slow because I remember you telling me you were not a fast reader.

We don't live where we did when you left. My hubby read in the paper where the most accidents happened within twenty miles of home, so we moved. 

 This place we're rentin' has a washin' machine. The first day I put four new shirts in it, pulled the chain, and I haven't seen them since. 

It only rained twice this week: three days the first time and four days the second time.

The coat you wanted me to send the one you left last time you visited. We were concerned that it was very heavy and might be costly to send via the mail, so we cut off the big buttons and put them in the pockets.

I heard that my sister had a baby this morning but I haven't been over there yet to find out if it's a boy or a girl so I don't know if I'm an Aunt or an Uncle.

I hope at least one or two of those brought a smile to your face. I learned and filed away in that corner of my brain full of information of little use that the average person smiles or laughs seventeen times a day. I am sure that if you have a little laugh at the start of the day nobody will hold you to the seventeen.

Let me share with you one or two tips to cultivate a sense of humour that just might add to that average of seventeen.

1. Catch yourself in some amusing inconsistency and then laugh at yourself. This is the foundation of a healthy sense of humour.

2. Note the inappropriate or funny things people say or do in public, and draw parallels between those silly behaviours and your own. Positive humour goes beyond mere criticism to a recognition of our common plight as less-than-perfect human beings.

3. Occasionally do something harmlessly absurd and totally out of character for your spontaneous entertainment.

5. Avoid sarcasm, ridicule, and excessive teasing. They hurt rather than heal. 

Have a marvellous day please do not count the laughs you have just go and and have a laugh and share it with a friend just for today to start yours and their good day.