I spent a good part of the morning looking up definitions for laughter. My favorite comes from the American Heritage Dictionary:

To express mirth or derision by a series of inarticulate sounds with the mouth open in a wide smile; to display amusement at someone or something – treating a subject in a lighthearted way.    

What inspired this?

How great I felt after Ed made me laugh so hard carrying my new chair up the stairs. (see ‘This Seat Is Taken’ post, June 4)

My entire being was suspended to another sidesplitting stratosphere.

There’s a great line in the film Anne Hall while in bed Woody Allen says to Diane Keaton, “That sex was the most fun I’ve ever had without laughing.” 

That’s how I felt on those steps but for me it was the opposite: That laugh was the most fun I’ve ever had without sex.

It makes me realize one can’t laugh enough, it’s impossible. Anne Lamott calls laughter “carbonated holiness” and I couldn’t agree more.

There is something divine about it since it’s the only time one happily, without argument, relinquishes total control or as my pal Ed says, it’s like coming with your clothes on. (I’m pretty sure he said that if not, Ed, please don’t sue me for libel, I’m just catching up on my bills.)

I took the liberty of looking up some quotes I’d like to share:

Mark Twain said, “The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” I was thinking of sending that to The Pentagon.

For all us nature lovers Emerson wrote, “The Earth laughs in flowers.”

When you think how silly daisies and daffodils can be, how they tickle your nose when you smell them, you have to admit that’s pretty much true.

The poet Byron had a more practical view when he said, “Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” If the pharmaceutical companies could think of a way to shove it in a pill we’d be paying through the nose for it.

My favorite line came from Victor Borge -“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”

Ain’t that the truth, like when you meet someone with a sense of humor. Is that a head turner or what? He doesn’t even have to be that handsome, if he’s funny he’s already halfway to your bed. I should know. I was with one of the funniest men of all time who wasn’t exactly Gary Cooper. His face was more like a weathered sea captain’s.

Bill, wherever you are, please don’t be mad but the minute you opened your mouth I smiled like I had never smiled before. Hey, I would have done your windows if you had any (hotels don’t count). Of course humor makes a man handsomer and a woman more beautiful since it produces an unexpected light.

The flush one gets after a good laugh is better than any facial plus you sleep better.

It’s kind of like a clearance sale for the cells. All that ailed you either disappears or at the very least, takes a little snooze.

Byron was right, it is cheap medicine, medicine I want to always remember to take.

I have an idea, let’s all try it now. Are you ready? I’ll count to 3…

1, 2, 3….                You didn’t know I had such versatile readers now did you?

SB