Wipeout: The Gift of Togetherness

Laughing and being together. It's what the holidays are all about. Last night, my middle daughter and I walked in around 8pm, finally done with swim practice and a week's worth of commitments. Then what to my wondering eyes should appear, but my other two daughters and husband watching Wipeout episodes and laughing hysterically.

Luckily for us, it was a marathon. We sat for two episodes and laughed and enjoyed each other. The Christmas tree was shining in the corner. It seemed silly to be bonding over people falling down and smashing into things. But it was bonding nonetheless.

In July, I posted about laughter being the best medicine. I'm re-running it today in the spirit of Christmas and bonding.

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Laughter is often the best medicine, and it fills my tub. In our "The Balancing Act" interview, host Danielle Knox asked why we incorporated so much humor in our book. If you haven't seen our interview yet, you can follow the link on the left side of our blog.

My answer:
Humor is a gift. My dad gave us many things growing up, but I always say one of his greatest blessings was humor. It's medicinal. Too often we focus on what burdens us, what makes us tired and frustrated, instead of embracing the joy of life. My favorite memories as a kid are laughing ... and that's true now with my husband and three daughters ... sometimes laughter's just the best medicine.

Humor is also a shield and a saving grace. Why do you think parents tickle kids when they are sad? Why are comedians often from tragic upbringings? When one of my kids comes home sad or hurt, one of the first things we will do is put on music and dance. Maybe we would all benefit from a good dance class, because we usually end up laughing. A plate of warm chocolate chips cookies goes a long way, too.

I rarely tell a poignant story without throwing in some humor (often sarcasm and wit are my tools). Sadness without laughter is empty and painful. We all have sad moments in our lives, but dwelling on the pain will bring nothing. The ability to laugh at yourself and with others is a treasure. If a writer can make me laugh for one page, I can better endure and appreciate one hundred pages of sadness and misfortune.

This quote says it well:

"A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life." Hugh Sidey

Check out our humor by visiting these past posts:

* What Not to Do During a Television Interview

* Friday Feature: About Menopots

For fun, here's a video of my youngest, Maddie (now 6), and her first taste of baby food. This always makes me laugh: