Laughing is not only fun, it's bonding. Comedian/musician, Victor Borge gave us a piece of genuine wisdom when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." When you laugh with someone about a funny situation or story it brings a closeness between you. The same is true in marriage. Laughing with your spouse is not only fun, it creates a feeling of wanting to be together to enjoy more of life's joys. When laughter is missing, life becomes dull and mundane. Family life was meant to be enjoyable.
The same is true with your children. Laugh with them and they'll enjoy being with you. It's fun to be with people who know how to enjoy life and find the humor in everyday things. If you hear a funny story, tell your kids. Encourage them to tell you funny things that happen to them, and when they do, reward them with a hearty laugh. When something happens at home that could go either way, laugh about it. Instead of reprimanding over the spilt milk, laugh about how funny the situation is as you clean it up together. Comment on how funny it was to see everyone scatter from the table to avoid being the target of the splashing milk. It happened so why not enjoy it.
Marie Osmond gave a suggestion worth considering when she said, "If you're going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now." How many times have things happened that really were funny in retrospect? Go ahead and enjoy it the moment it happens. There's no point in delaying the fun.
Laugh with, not at
In your attempts at humor make sure you're not laughing at someone, rather laughing with them. Making fun of someone is never funny. It only hurts and will have a negative result. Also, avoid anything crude or lewd. Our homes need to be a place of clean, wholesome humor.
Finding things to laugh about
Some days are tough and nothing seems funny. There are days like that, but that just means you need to get busy finding something funny. If they don't just pop up naturally, start looking.
The comics
My husband gets the newspaper off the front porch every morning, glances at the headlines then turns to the comic section. Granted, many comic strips aren't so funny anymore, but there are almost always a few choice ones. He finds them, then calls me to come and see. It's a lot of fun to share this light-hearted moment together. One of his favorite cartoons is the Lockhorns. He loves the one where the wife has her hands on her hips and looks angrily at her husband as he walks through the door after a hard day's work. She says, "You're late, Leroy ... Dinner would be ruined if it were ready!" That one brought a deep, hearty laugh from both of us.
The Internet
We have a few friends who often email things that tickled their funny bones. Here's one we received recently. We laughed so hard that we shared it with our married kids when they came over a few nights ago. They laughed right out loud, too. I think we laugh a little harder each time we share it. Here's the link http://sosuperawesome.net/post/37354359230/how-to-make-a-baby-by-photographer-patrice-laroche
Greeting cards
Humorous greeting cards can be a lot of fun, too. A friend of ours told about one she gave her husband after they had a heated discussion. She felt bad, but then found the perfect card when she went grocery shopping. On the front it said, "You're the answer to my prayers ..." then inside: "not quite what I prayed for, but nevertheless, the answer." It broke the ice and they both had a good laugh.
Advice from the Bible
There's a choice little passage in the Bible that says, "Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest ..." (Ecclesiastes 9:9) Noticing and looking for the funny things in life can help make that happen, not only with your spouse but with your kids. Laughing together is one of the secrets to creating a loving family.
