Belly Laugh

Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

There is nothing like hearing one of those good old "belly" laughs. You know what I'm talking about? The laugh that comes from deep in the gut. One that everyone can hear, even in a room filled with people. It's sound is so much more different than a normal giggle or laughter. It uses every resource of the body in order to come out differently. I love hearing people say, "I laughed so hard that my belly hurts."

There are times on my school bus route that the kids get a little out of hand and loud. I try to stay calm and understanding in these situations but I also have to maintain a little bit of sanity in order to drive the bus safely. Some of the funniest moments are when I'm trying to be serious with them and all of the sudden one of the kids (that aren't paying my speech much attention) lets out that belly laugh. I must say that in those times it has lightened to mood tremendously. Other times I have been steadily driving down the road, focused on the task at hand, and one of the little children let out that laughter and it makes me smile or even laugh myself.

There is just something about laughter. It makes the face happy. It makes the heart glad. It makes others who are around forget all that they may be going through for just a split moment. The Bible says that it doeth good like a medicine. If only we could laugh more often, maybe we wouldn't be so dry and unhealthy.