“Pinochle & Ice Cream”

You’ve probably heard that “laughter is the best medicine”. In fact I read that “laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals; endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.” Wow, the next time you see some clown rolling on the floor laughing, don’t call the men in the white coats,… join him and get rid of some of your pain. 

It does seem that laughter is an integral part of a balanced life. There are so many challenges in life, so much disappointment and sadness and sickness that we really need to balance them out. I believe the Lord gives us laughter as part of the solution to these challenges. I feel better after having a good laugh.

Today as we were driving home from Mass, Judy and I had a couple of moments of laughter. She told me that she learned the “hula” at about 8 years old… grass skirt and all…. and her brother Jim learned to tap dance. If that scene doesn’t make you laugh, you don’t have even a semblance of a sense of humor; for therapy you need to immediately watch 72 hours of “The Three Stooges” and the classic movie  “Abbot & Costello Meets Godzilla”. 

Anyway to top off our ride home, I charitably commented on the “Ole Bag” who was driving in front of us…. I said it knowing that we’re comrades in arms…”ole bags and ole geezer”… I didn’t mean anything negative. Yet, Judy immediately sentenced me to purgatory for my many comments made while driving. I could picture it now…me in purgatory with my safety patrol uniform and little hat, encouraging all the Old Bags , I mean awesome elderly women drivers, for 1,000 years. Well, to be honest I started to chuckle. I of course tried to talk myself out of it by reminding her that “Jonathan Winters called Ethyl Merman an Ole Bag in the movie  “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World” (one of my favorite movies)… she immediately retorted, “I never liked Jonathan Winters”. Yikes, I was going down fast. 

Many years ago, we were experiencing some difficulties in our community life; it was a hard time that lasted for quite a while. In the midst of these tough times, we used to play a lot of pinochle and eat ice cream… and laugh. Perhaps it was a bit of gallows humor, but it helped us to not take ourselves too seriously…. believe it or not it kept us  “sane or at least semi-sane”. 

So life can be difficult for all of us. But I do believe the Lord wants us to laugh as part of his solution to our problems. Remember the exhortation of Nehemiah in the midst of very difficult times saying to the people of Israel, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine ….. for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”(Nehemiah 8:10)

And you know what? In light of eternity the problems of the day will one day disappear and all will be well with our soul….. and that is very good news. In the meantime, enjoy a good laugh…. and let the joy of the Lord be your strength.