Day 70, March 11

I love the sound of laughter. I love a deep-throated chuckle. I love a full-out belly laugh. I love the squeal of a young child's giggle. I even love the sound of my own laughter, because it reminds me that life is good.

Laughter is therapy as well as joy. Studies have revealed that watching old comedies on television can release endorphins (those feel-good hormones) and actuall promote healing. Long before SURVIVOR kicked the first participant off the island, I LOVE LUCY and other classic comedies were delighting audience of all ages.

A sense of humor can see you through any number of gaffes, embarrassments, and outright disasters. Let me share with you one such incident:

For many years I've attended the annual conference of Romance Writers of America. As you might suppose, conference attendees are primarily women. Hotels hosting the conference typically turn the men's restrooms in public areas into those for women. One afternoon, as I hurried to the restroom in between workshops, I gave a silent prayer of thanks for the hotel's practical attitude. I took care of business, then washed my hands at the sink, and checked my hair and makeup. I thought it strange that no other ladies were in the bathroom. A sound alerted me to the fact that I was not alone after all. A man stood at the urinal. A warning bell sounded in my head. Where were the flower arrangements that normally decorated the urinals in converted restrooms? I slunk from the restroom, then checked the sign at the opening. Sure enough, there was no discreetly labeled sign indicating that this bathroom was temporarily reserved for women. Somehow I had chosen the one public restroom for men not turned over to women.

I was torn between acute embarrassment and laughter. I chose the latter. Who else but me could have made such a mistake? (Hint: ladies, if you are ever in doubt whether a men's restroom has been temporarily converted for your use, check the urinals. If there are no flower arrangement gracing the porcelain structure, it probably hasn't.)

A sense of humor allowed me to continue on with the conference experience and even joke with my friends about my goof. Later, I went on to write about this incident in an article about humor and how to use it.

I believe God Himself has a sense of humor. Why else would he have created the giraffe with its gangly legs, impossibly long neck, and gentle eyes?

So, for today, I am grateful for the gift of laughter.