make me laugh

“Don’t forget: ‘I’m gonna git you sucka’ is on tonight.”

The note from my wife Paula still tickles me to no end. You see, she knew I’d find a reminder to watch that movie funny. For the record, I did and still do.

I love to laugh, and as often as possible. Maybe you do, too. I suspect there are a lot of us out there.

Because of that I have an assignment for you today: Make someone laugh. At the very least, make them smile. Why? Well, to be blunt life stinks sometimes. Who would dare argue with that conclusion?

So why not take a minute and brighten someone’s day by making them laugh? How you do it is entirely up to you. It could be a phone call, an email, a Facebook page post, the sky’s the limit.

And the strategy is also up to you: Will it be a joke, a funny anecdote or a silly photo? Again, whatever you think will make the person laugh, go for it.

For instance, a friend called earlier today to say he had called the city to complain about a neighbor's dog. Apparently it was really wreaking havoc in the area. The city acted promptly and sent someone from animal control to check things out. When my friend returned from running an errand, he found a note inside his screen door. It seems animal control ticketed him as well, for not having licenses and collars for his cats.

My friend laughed at the irony of being punished for trying to do a good deed, but the story was also funny because the animals weren't even his. He was merely feeding feral cats.

Why did he call and tell me that? Because he knew I’d get a kick out of it. We shared a laugh and went back to our days, but I’m still smiling even though the call was hours ago. That’s the power of a good laugh.

But if you need another reason for going out of your way to brighten someone else’s day, how about this? Doing so is a way to express your love for the other person.

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”1

My wife and friend did what they did because they knew I’d find it funny and they care about me.

Take it from me: It felt good to laugh and even better to know they cared enough to try and brighten my day. When somebody makes me laugh it’s a wonderful gift, a gift that I treasure.

So who are you going to make laugh today? And how are you going to do it?

“I’m gonna git you sucka.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12