Marriage with a Smile

There’s an old saying that “laughter is good for the soul.” It’s good for the soul of your marriage as well.

My wife Jean and I have certainly discovered that to be true. Some of our greatest memories involve laughing together. A few times, we’ve laughed so hard for so long that we forgot why we started laughing in the first place. We were laughing at each other’s laughing.

One thing that’s obvious after laughing yourself to tears with someone is how connected you feel afterward. Somehow laughter brings people together. It’s contagious. When we hear someone else laugh, we are more likely to laugh. Laughter also releases endorphins, meaning we don’t only laugh because we’re happy – we actually become happier through laughter.

Marriage experts, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, say humor is vital for building a healthy relationship. Humor diffuses arguments. It helps you better navigate your differences. It’s even a good barometer for the condition of your relationship – if you can’t laugh together, something has probably come between you and could use an adjustment.

Laugh together. As much as possible. You don’t have to become comedians, just have fun together. The point isn’t to tell each other jokes. It’s to find the humor in everyday life. It’s to take yourselves less seriously, so you can enjoy life as much as possible, together, with a smile on your face.