There is a wonderful scripture in Genesis 21:6 that reads, "And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." I have always been fascinated that Sarah's first reaction upon hearing that she was going to have a baby was to laugh. Granted, she and Abraham had been waiting for a long time to have a child. The Bible tells us Sarah was 90 years of age.
Looking down the page of our scriptures, to the cross-reference section, we are instructed that a second interpretation of the Hebrew word "tzachak" [or “to laugh”] is "to rejoice". What a joyous celebration Sarah and Abraham must have had upon hearing the news of their child to come! Their laughter was a rejoicing! How important for us to make note that laughter should be synonymous with rejoicing.
We know that life can be a lot more enjoyable when we learn to laugh -appropriately - as we go through the ups and downs, the good times and bad ones. It is better than crying or wringing our hands in worry, right?
Many years ago, on an occasion when my father had just gotten out of the hospital, I was privileged to take him on his first outing. We were going to the barbershop. My home was a half-hour away from my parents' and I was in a rush to get to my dad, pick him up, and spend the time with him.
Have you ever had the feeling that something isn't quite "right"? I was having that uneasy sense but could not figure out why. Hopping in the car, I zipped down to get my dad and we jaunted off to the barber. When we got him situated in the chair, I settled down in a seat to watch the hair cut in action. That's when I noticed my shoes. My shoes! I had on two different tennis shoes! One was a "high top" and the other was not. How embarrassing!
Deciding to carefully conceal my preschool attempt at dressing myself, I pulled up one leg and sat on that foot. No one would ever have to know. Or at least I could pretend and hope that few people noticed the shoes! But as I sat there, it occurred to me that my dad would really enjoy this ridiculous mistake (it not being the first embarrassing moment of its kind in my life).
"Dad," I said, "Look!" I sat up with both feet on the floor and pointed to my shoes.
Dad looked at my feet, at my face, then back at my feet. And then he burst into wonderful laughter. The look in his eye revealed the merriment as well as the love in his heart. Everyone in the shop had a good laugh. It was not laughter of derision, but of shared fun. There was joy in it. It was a good thing – well worth my silly mistake!
It has now been eighteen years since my dad passed away. That memory, like others of silly times or serious times when we – as family members – laughed together, gives me joy. It was a particular and simple way of rejoicing. It created a powerful and poignant memory. My grown-up “daddy/daughter” outing that day has become a great entry in my laughter journal. I am so grateful that on this particular day [meaning – there are certainly occasions that I fail to see the humor in dumb mistakes I make] -- I went the “rejoicing” route rather than the “boo-hoo-what-have-I-done” route!
So many good memories involve my family or friends having a good laugh. If ever I am feeling down, it is helpful to pull out my mental laughter journal and smile as I see the humor even in things that were once embarrassing or even difficult. Laughter has come to be a sort of celebration.
Oh, that our laughter can always be the kind that is a joyful celebration, the kind that would never make the Savior uncomfortable or exile the Holy Spirit.
Merging the concepts of laughter and rejoicing – learning from Abraham [who also reacted with laughter, according to Genesis 17: 17] and Sarah’s example – grants us greater opportunities to feel a sweet spirit of righteous joy. Celebrating big things and little things on a daily basis somehow makes this life easier and more enjoyable.
Elder Hugh B. Brown once said, "A wholesome sense of humor will be a safety valve that will enable you to apply the lighter touch to heavy problems and to learn some lessons in problem solving that 'sweat and tears' often fail to dissolve" (Conference Report, April 1968, p. 100).
I am so grateful for the lessons we can learn from the scriptures. They really can guide us here and now, even in the simplest of principles!
Accept the gift of laughter. Enjoy the blessings. Celebrate and rejoice whenever it is possible. Doing so will leave sweet traces in our hearts and minds, and will allow us to build an internal library of good memories. It will also do wonders for increasing our enjoyment of every single day!
