The Gift of Laughter

I have always enjoyed laughter but I never realized it was good medicine until I went through a year of chemo-therapy 1983-1984. I learned in some reading I did then (specifically Norman Cousins' book on his own illness) that humor is therapeutic. When you are recovering from something such as cancer surgery (or other serious medical conditions), it helps to be around people who make you laugh; it helps to watch funny TV shows and movies rather than something gory and horror-producing.

I have long finished with the chemo-therapy but Carolyn Gramling McAleese in our recent visits and phone calls has reminded me of how wonderful it is to laugh. She has the ability, almost without trying, to crack me up...not so much with funny jokes, but the delightful way she has of saying things.

If you are re-connecting with classmates now, and you have the chance to see them or talk to them on the phone, enjoy those precious moments when you laugh together. I don't know the chemical name for it, but my understanding is that laughter causes some substance to be released in our bodies--and that's a good thing.

When we all get together in May, may the laughter never stop! We need every giggle we can get!