5 Simple Pleasures - Part 5

Who knew . . . laughter is good for you?

My 5th and final simple pleasure to complete this little tag is hands down my most favorite simple pleasure.  I inadvertently saved the best for last.  It is not just a pleasure but a blessing that I have seen in my life time and time again and I would even go as far to claim this as a tender mercy.

Laughter

That is right the hard, uncontrollable, squint your eyes, hold your sides, silent with a faint wheeze, shoulder shaking, I can't believe what I just heard/saw, cross your legs, and hope for the best kind of laughter. 

There is nothing I enjoy more then getting together with friends and laughing.  This sounds cheesy and silly (trust me, I know, I watched the Miss USA pageant this weekend and one of the contestants had this down as her interest, which of course made me laugh).  But honestly, I have been blessed with hilarious friends.  It doesn't matter if it is a planned event, a dinner party, a weekend trip, a spontaneous outing, or just sitting around talking, when the laughter starts things just seem to get funnier.  I don't know why this is but it doesn't matter which group of friends I am with, laughter is sure to ensue, many times it is at my expense or at the situation or some absurdity going in the life of someone else but whatever it is it sure helps to laugh.

I look back on  past life chapters and I recall many funny friends.  And now I have several groups of friends that can really cause me to tear up and my abs to ache.  Yes it is true there is a long list of people that I shouldn't sit by in church or meetings because for one reason or another we will bust out laughing.  Today in fact I had two friends that had to leave during Sunday School to gain control and composure so as not to distract others and this time it wasn't my fault.

To add on to this, I get great joy out of making my sister laugh and making her laugh so hard she can't stop and sometimes she has been known to get in trouble for it :)

The good news for me though is that laughter aids in the learning process and is very healthy for you.  So the more I laugh the smarter and healthier I will become.  If you don't believe me check out these facts pulled from this book: How The Brain Learns by David Sousa.

• Laughing gets more oxygen into the bloodstream...oxygen is pure brain fuel.
• Laughing causes a surge in endorphins - these are the body's natural painkillers, and they give you a feeling of euphoria. 
• Endorphins stimulate your brain's frontal lobes. This can lead to increased focus and attention span.
• Laughing not only gives you a physical feel-good effect, it makes you feel better mentally.
• Laughter decreases stress, boosts your immune system and relaxes muscle tension.
  

So go ahead, don't hold back and just laugh.  Tonight I burned more calories laughing then I consumed and that includes the huge serving of Skor cake that I polished off thanks to my friends.