The other night my family and I were watching television when something struck me as funny. It made them laugh too just not for nearly as long, which made me laugh more. There I was, sitting on the couch, almost unable to talk, tears rolling down my cheeks.

It felt good.

Joanna had a similar experience on Sunday. One of our community members made an off-hand remark that left her non-stop giggling. He thought it was great, especially because his humour had such success when he wasn’t even trying to be funny.

At the end of our Thrift Store Drop-In a friend managed to crack a joke about his own circumstances that made everyone laugh, including him. Any tension that had existed in the room felt like it suddenly dissipated.

Someone commented that research shows that laughter really does help. I looked it up and found that there are investigations into whether it is the act of laughter that is beneficial or if “a good sense of humor, a positive attitude, and the support of friends and family might play a role, too” (WebMD). Proverbs says that, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength”.

I am grateful that laughter in the context of a supportive community at home and The Dale served to fill me up this week, and that it had a similar impact on others.

Maybe I should invest in a good joke book.