I believe it was Abraham Lincoln that said, "if I did not laugh I should die."  That of course, is taken out of context since he preceded the statement with a remark about the strain that he was under day and night (presumably the stress of the Civil War).  His point, I think, was that laughing soothes us through difficult times.  It keeps us from being pulled under by our self-imposed limits.  It opens the door to a new way of thinking.  Music does that too, but that’s a blog for another day. 

Although I would never consider my life as stressful as that of one of the greatest Presidents our country has ever elected, I’ve definitely had my moments.  Hell, I have them nearly every day.

So, in an effort to fend off death (or sadness), I force myself to laugh.  Every day.  

It’s not so much that laughter is medicinal; it’s that it’s essential.   If I wake up in a bad mood, you’ll find me digging through YouTube videos for something funny, scrolling through the cable channels for stand up comedy marathons on Comedy Central or reruns of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations.  I practically howl at his sarcastic food-related rants. 

So, I say laugh.  Laugh heartily.  Laugh until your stomach hurts.  Laugh until you need botox!  It will reset your day.  If you’ll allow it, laughing will bring you back to center.  Buh-bye bad mood.  Hello this-day-may-not-be-so-bad-after-all mood!