The gravity of our circumstances weighs on us constantly .. The seriousness of living each day with an autoimmune disease affects our mindset .. The stress, unrest and pain of the world around us is internalized in our own hearts.

Every moment, every situation, every second in this life contains a lesson. In all experiences, I search for the lesson… What am I to learn from this?  How can it change the prism of my life? What good comes from this situation?

The last week has been a unique experience .. And I’m incredibly blessed to count it in my life. As I continue to work through the circumstances, I’ve noticed a common fiber. It’s something I’ve always known, but that I’ve failed to appreciate fully.

Laughter is one of life’s best medicines.

When you feel like sobbing.

When you feel another’s pain.

When you are sick with sorrow.

When you experience loss.

Some will contend that laughter is inappropriate. And, in certain situations – in that immediate moment, it may be. But at the right moment, it’s also a healing mechanism. When we, as a community, lean on one another and are able to find a way to smile – and even laugh – our healing begins.

For that brief moment, we forget the pain. We toss out the hurt.

We live in the moment .. The moment of laughter.

It’s my belief that we need to laugh more.  We need to share joy with one another more. We need to find ways to smile more.

Life will be serious enough. It will throw curveballs and ruin plans. It will knock our legs from under us and drop us in the gutter. It will be cruel and unfair and bleak. But underneath the darkness is an opportunity to see light .. To see the silver lining. Whenever life deals a blow, there is at least one excuse to be grateful, to smile, to even laugh. Look for it.

It doesn’t reveal itself automatically, you must search for it. You must discover it.

Ask yourself, “What’s one thing this experience can teach me?”

“What one thing can I walk away with?”

“What’s one thing can I be grateful for?”

That’s spot on the map where the poignancy of life and laughter intersect.

Find that beauty in your life today.