Laughter: The best marital medicine

   I grew up thinking my parents had the perfect marriage. They didn't, of course. Nobody's marriage is perfect. They had their fair share of problems. (My God, they had five kids!) But, they made each other laugh every day. Dad was Mom's biggest fan and best audience, and vice versa. Nothing warmed my heart more - or gave me more comfort - than seeing one of them getting hysterical over the other. They were married 53 years before Dad died in 2008.

(Not sure what Mom's hand gesture means, but Dad isn't taking it personally.)

Today, my husband and I celebrated our 34th anniversary. Our marriage isn't perfect but, fortunately, it's had far more ups than downs. He still cracks me up, and vice versa.

(He's funny as hell, but still has a hard time showing his teeth in photos.)

   Why does one marriage survive when another one fails? Who knows? I'm guessing a steady diet of chuckling has something to do with it.
   Mark Twain once said, "Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand." Twain, incidentally, was married 34 years before his wife, Olivia, died.
  Maybe Yakov Smirnoff (of all people) said it best: "If love is the treasure, laughter is the key."
  Here's to yukking it up!

If love is the treasure, laughter is the key.
Yakov Smirnoff
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With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.
William Shakespeare
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