One of the best things about hanging out with Darren all the time is that my daily laugh quota has skyrocketed. He doesn’t take life as seriously as I tend to and constantly gets me to lighten up. Being around him for a couple of weeks has reminded me how important it is to laugh, and how easy it is if you’re open to what’s around you.

I just wrote an article on “Laughter, the Best Medicine” (I’ll link to it once it’s published) and can say from experience that it’s true. When I’m laughing throughout the day, I’m more relaxed, optimistic, and engaged with whatever I’m doing at the moment. According to research, increasing the amount of laughter in my life is also making my immune system is stronger and my cells more full of oxygen, both of which help prevent cancer and other serious disease. There are myriad other benefits to laughing, including burning calories, increasing job satisfaction, and developing bonds between people.

Getting out of my head and present to what’s around me has brought funny things to my attention that I would have otherwise missed. I’m especially big on wordplay and five-year-old potty humor. I prefer to think of my sense of humor as childlike, rather than childish. An important part of reschooling is remembering how to laugh at the silly things you found funny as a kid. Here are some of my highlights from the last couple of weeks:

Darren was reading Esquire magazine this morning and suddenly said with outrage, "I really want to read this chili recipe, but I don't want to look at this guy!" He decided that he just couldn't stand it and flipped past the recipe.

Darren was reading Esquire magazine this morning and suddenly said with outrage, "I really want to read this chili recipe, but I don't want to look at this guy!" He decided that he just couldn't stand it and flipped past the recipe.

At a fish and game store, I spotted this brand. Apparently, a "crappie" is a small fish, and its name instantly made it one of my favorite animals.

I spotted this brand at a fish and game store. Apparently, a "crappie" is a small fish, and it instantly became one of my favorite animals.

Darren prides himself on being a southern man's man, and I pride myself on girlifying him. When he left his computer alone for a moment, I changed his Gmail theme to "Candy," giggling to myself at the icons of pigtailed girls and ice cream. I pretended to be working as he returned. He was satisfyingly shocked and revolted at the bubblegummy theme, and it took him a while to figure out how to change it.

We often work on our laptops at a local cafe-bookstore. On the shelf next to our usual table is a copy of Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth," whose title someone scratched out to read "The Cool Fart." Darren credited our discovery of this one-of-a-kind gem to divine intervention.

We often work on our laptops at a local cafe-bookstore. On the shelf next to our usual table is a copy of Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth," whose title has been scratched out to read "The Cool Fart." Darren credits our discovery of this gem to divine intervention.

Chicago's gas company is called "People's Gas," and their motto is "Delivering warmth. Every day. Every night." I love the picture on this bus of the child, sleeping contentedly as she's warmed by People's Gas.

Chicago's natural gas company is called "People's Gas," and their motto is "Delivering warmth. Every day. Every night." I love the picture on this bus of the child, sleeping contentedly as she's warmed by People's Gas.


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