LOL

What can leave your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes, fight disease, temporarily relieve pain and make you pee your pants?

Laughter.
It’s true.

Last night, around my kitchen table with my bro and two friends, I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt, my face hurt, and I nearly peed my pants (which I have done before...although it’s been about 20 years). It was great. I could barely breathe, and as they laughed harder, I only laughed harder, too. You know how that goes...pretty soon you’re not even laughing at what you were originally laughing at but rather the laughter of the other people.

So, I know--have known--that laughter is good for you for lots of reasons. Releases endorphins, decreases stress, etc. etc. But, something I hadn’t really thought of before is that for those really-great-stomach-hurting-nearly-peeing-in-pants laughs, you NEED other people. I do often chuckle to myself or at myself, but the hardest laughs are always in the company of others who are often laughing with you. I hated my logic class, but i think if you break it down...if for-real laughing is good for you, and for-real laughing only happens with others, then being with others is good for you. Actually no, this doesn’t work logically, but if I add the word “may” it does. Being with others MAY be good for you.

In church on Sunday, the message was about relationships. How we, especially here in the United States, tend to live alone. We’re inward, busy with our own schedules. We hide our troubles. We don’t take the time to listen to others, let alone support them in any real way. We decide to fly solo. Independence is a good thing. Pastor went on to talk about all the reasons why this is bad. He didn’t mention though that when you go it alone, there is no for-real laughing. I believe this, too, is another reason to do life together.

We all need for-real laughter and for-real laughter needs others. Just make sure those others won’t care if you do really pee your pants.