Laughter

As I walk down the hall for the millionth time on this day, I see that the people working in the office are not busy. So, what do I do? I begin to dance. I could never be on Dancing with the Stars. As they say, “white people can’t dance,” well in my case that is a true statement.

The people in the office, who know me, begin to laugh. They are not laughing at me because they know that is my nature to make light of a situation. Meanwhile the student I’m escorting back to their class or to my room is trying to disappear. They don’t want to see a middle-aged teacher dancing especially since she doesn’t have rhythm.

Laughing is the best medicine. God gave us the ability to laugh. He knows that we need to release the stress of being on earth and dealing with earthly problems. So, he gave us that gift. Not many people use his gift and walk through the world with a “chip” on their shoulder. 

In Ecclesiastes 3:4, King Solomon wrote “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.”

This verse reminds me of us going through my mom’s belongings after she died this past October. There were plenty of tears while we went through her items especially when we found birth certificates from my grandparents and my uncle who had passed right before I was born. Then there was the laughter when we found things like a fake key and an expired AARP card in a baggie in the fridge door behind the mustard.

Even though we were grieving, we were able to laugh which made us feel better even though it was a temporary fix. Those memories of us laughing will be imprinted in our minds to be replayed, so when we feel sad, we can laugh.

I wish I could say to my mom, “Really, mom, why do you have these items in the fridge? It doesn’t make any sense.”

          “Thank you, God for giving us the gift of laughter. It helped me through the most difficult moment of my life.”

          Almost six years ago, I spent a few hours with one of my favorite teachers. Ms. Adams taught me not only about world history but also about how to laugh. Many years after my graduation, I realized that she lived around the corner from the building I was assigned to that school year. We had snow squalls one day and the roads were dangerous so I called her and asked her if I could visit with her until the snow had died down and the roads were cleaned off.

          We spent that few hours catching up and just talking. She was suffering from a chronic illness, but her zest for life was still there. That May she wrote on my Facebook wall, “Happy Birthday, teacher friend,” something I’ll always treasure.

A few weeks after my birthday, she died from her illness. When I went to her funeral, I laughed for hours about her antics at school and in her personal life. I will forever say, “It was the funniest funeral I have ever been to.”

In her obituary, it read "Fear is the lock and laughter is the key." One of my most vivid memories of her from high school was during Christmas time in my sophomore year. She decided we needed to learn how to play “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” using our nose. Then we went on tour to one of my other favorite teacher’s room for us to serenade that class. Can I remember how to play that song on my nose? No, but anytime I think of Ms. Adams, this vivid memory fills my mind.

She taught us that laughter is the key to living a full life. It's good medicine especially when you have a broken heart. It does not allow the Devil to come into your life.

Another lesson that she indirectly taught me was it is okay to be silly when you are teaching. You don’t always need to be serious for your students to learn. 🤣

Proverbs 17:22

The Devil doesn't like a joyful heart. He wants to take your joy away from you to bring despair. 

Proverbs 31:25 says, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."

As I live my life, I need to remember to laugh and not allow myself to be bogged down with the worries of the world. Those worries are often if not always from the Devil. He wants us to feel as though we are powerless so he can take over our minds. I need to resist his hold over my mind and just laugh.

I could say I need to be like Ms. Adams but in reality, I need to be just me - laughing through life because I know God has my back. I know I am one of his dear ones.

These photos were taken in Niagara Falls. I know I looked like a fool in both of them. However, they show my zest for life and show I can laugh and be myself. 

The boy in the second photo is my youngest. He is just rolling his eyes because this is typical of me.

Dear Lord, Bless us so that we can laugh. When life becomes difficult, we need to remember to find time to laugh. It's truly the best medicine and will keep our physical body well. More importantly, it will become our armor against the evil one. Thank you for this special gift.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Have a blessed day,

Traci