A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Standup comedian and author, David Brenner, was signing books in a San Francisco bookstore when a young man handed him a newly purchased copy to be autographed and said softly, “I want to thank you for saving my life.” Brenner flippantly replied, “That’s OK.” The young man stood his ground and said, “No, I really mean it.”

Brenner stopped signing and looked at him. The young man continued, “My father died. He was my best friend. I loved him and I couldn’t stop crying for weeks. I decided to take my own life. The night I was going to do it, I happened to have the TV on and you were hosting the Tonight Show. Next thing I knew, I was watching you and laughing. Then I started laughing hysterically. I realized that if I could laugh, then I could live. So I want to thank you for saving my life.” Humbled and grateful, Brenner shook the young man’s hand and said, “No-thank you!”

Laughter does more than help us escape our problems. It sometimes gives us the courage to face them. As humorous author Barbara Johnson has said: “Laughter is like changing a baby’s diaper. It doesn’t permanently solve the problem, but it makes things more acceptable for awhile.”

Creator of Joy, may we laugh at the world around us and at ourselves that we might find joy in the everyday things of our lives!