A day without laughter is a day wasted.
Charlie Chaplin
It is a well-established fact that smiling and laughing can have a positive effect on our physical and mental well-being. However, as we transition from childhood to adulthood, we tend to get increasingly oblivious to this seemingly obvious fact. Caught up in the hubbub of our frantic lives, we do everything but take a moment to smile, much less to have a hearty laugh. It is safe to say that, as adults, we forget to cherish the little things in life. More often than not, this sets the stage for pent-up frustration and fatigue, which serve as the precursors to a long-lasting depression.
A good example of how age makes us overlook the importance of being happy is a playground. There, one can see children playing and running around, unmindful of the fact that their clothes may get dirty or that they have piles of homework to do. On the other hand, often seated on the nearby benches are their parents – adults, who, despite being in the park, cannot think of anything beyond the report they need to submit the following day or the chores they need to do at home. Even the relaxing atmosphere of a playground cannot take them away from their accumulated stress.
Grown-ups can certainly learn a thing or two about being happy and carefree from their kids. In fact, by doing so, we can provide our kids with a more soothing atmosphere at home.
Probably the best thing about laughter is that it comes free of cost; in this sense, it is something that the poor can afford as well as the rich. This is in stark contrast with the stress-relieving medications that can easily cost thousands of dollars and burn a hole in one’s pocket.
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, commonly known as Charlie Chaplin, was an English comedian and composer. Known for his extraordinary sense of humor and comic roles, Chaplin once remarked: “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”