Twice this week I've caught PBS reruns of earlier presentations of the Mark Twain Award for American Humor. Earlier this week the recognition was for Tina Fey, and tonight Carol Burnett was the object of the salute.
I laughed at the earlier show, but tonight as I watched old skits from The Carol Burnett Show in the 1960s and 70s, I had several serious belly laughs, which, on more than one occasion, brought me both to stitches and tears. Now on extremely attractive octogenarian, neither Burnett's quick wit nor her singing voice had lost their edge. What a talent!
Good belly laughs are seriously under-valued most of the time, and, at least in my world, they are preciously rare. A good laugh relieves stress and relaxes us, and research shows that people learn better and are more creative after laughing. What's not to like about a good belly laugh?!
I like to think that God has a sense of humor. In fact, I am fairly certain that is the case. If we step back and look at the things that we try willfully to control, only to discover later that the very thing we resisted is the best thing that ever happened to us, can't you just hear divine laughter. And there are the times when I've laughed so I didn't cry only to discover that a chuckle was the perfect response.
One of the things I've discovered (and lamented) about living alone and working in a job that is sobering is that I just don't laugh enough so I've set about being intentional about bringing some serious laughs into my life every day. They give me perspective and help me unwind...and help me see the world a bit more like I think God sees it.
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The Funeral: Rob’s grandfather Ben had died. After Rob returned from the funeral Ross (my husband) asked how did everything go. Rob said, “It was GREAT!” He was a little shocked, how could a funeral be GREAT?
ReplyDeleteRob explained how his Grandfather had been the family clown and patriarch of humor. When the family got to the cathedral for the funeral, they were all presented with their Grandfathers final request. You see he never wanted anyone to mourn his death, but instead celebrate his life. At the door, a gentleman handed everyone GROUCHO MARX noses and glasses. Two hundred people sat in the church pews wearing these glasses and stared at a open casket of Grandpa Ben, who also wore the glasses. The eulogy was a JOKE recital of Grandpa's greatest jokes. By the end, everyone was in tears not from crying but from LAUGHING!
So I have decided when I go...I want my friends (Kay leading the pack) to have a FUNeral for me. Giggily Yours, Amy