Why Not Laugh

When we stop laughing at ourselves as we age, our losses feel greater, our aches and pains are stronger, last longer. Humor is the sunshine of our emotions, filling us with vitamins and minerals for the soul. Each laugh acts like a joy pill. It’s something all children know instinctively. Maybe assisted living homes should be connected to pre-schools where the elderly can see themselves over and over again. Children do silly things and laugh at themselves unabashedly; it’s behavior that can be just as funny in old age. For ten minutes I searched high and low for my half reading glasses to discover them on my face. That’s silly and funny too. Middle age brings clouds, fills us with grief and loss because we’re so arrogant and indignant toward ageing. We become jealous of budding adults and want to trade places with them. We even get tattoos, wear jeans with holes in them, wax our bodies, and take up with younger lovers when all we need to do is find the humor in our changing selves. We need to identify with the instincts of children. Laughter is the gel that keeps us healthy and guides us in ageing.