Laughing along the way

I recently read that pre-school aged children laugh up to 400 times a day while adults average only 17 bouts of laughter daily.

To me, that's crazy talk... but certainly true in my life these days. It's funny... after weekends or even good chats will some friends, we'll part ways and I'll think "I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard or that much."  (Such was the case as I ended my conversation last night with a hilarious, loving friend with whom I'd been out of touch for several months).

Luckily I have a laugh machine in my house.  Nothing brings on the giggles like a 2 year olds' big huge belly laugh.  Infectious.  Contagious.  One of his favorite ways to elicit a sustained laugh is to cup his hand, toss something imaginary in the air, look up at the ceiling, then wide-eyed look right at me and say, "GO?"  (like, "Where did it go?")  For some reason, tossing invisible objects skyward makes for long stretches of hilarity.

I crave laughter... the laughter that you have to catch your breath from, the laughter that makes you wipe your eyes, the laughter that sends you running to the bathroom, the laughter that creates "spit takes", the laughter that once turned me into a human volcano of milk and chocolate cake... Now that's good stuff.

Our bodies thrive on laughter- the emotional release... It has been shown to reduce cortisol and other stress hormones, increases endorphins levels, and strengthen our immune system.  It also helps work out those critical core muscles.

During my first hospital experience as a medical student, a friend and I were on rounds together.  After exiting a patient's room, we both dutifully reached for the alcohol foam.  Somehow... in my always-graceful way... I caused a major malfunction in the squirt department.  Foam was everywhere- on my coat, on my glasses, in my friends' hair, on the floor, obliterating the notes scrawled on my paper.  She and I took one look at each other and were shaking with laughter.  Trying to be the mature, professional students we sniggered and coughed- almost losing it each time we found a wayward bit of foam.  But what do you think the halls of the hospital needed more at that moment... hearty, authentic laughter or another set of overwhelmed yet attentive students, nodding along to a run down of lab values?

So let's laugh, giggle, guffaw, chortle... at the little things, the big things, the WTF?! things, the imaginary things.  Revert with me a little.  Make me laugh.

This video makes me laugh every single time I see it.  Enjoy!