I suppose it’s possible to get through life without a sense of humor, but why would you want to?

1. Humor diffuses uncomfortable situations. The Bible tells us “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1 NIV) .” My husband takes that principle one step further. I love the guy, but he has no filter—he just blurts out whatever’s on his mind. Whenever he sees me react with pain or fury to something he just said, he’ll turn it around by saying something bizarre, like “I mean, squirrels’ bread sinks.” (He might have originally said “Your breath stinks.”)
2. Everyone likes to laugh. Funny people are fun to be around. At a party, people surround the funniest person in the room. Someone once told Greg, “I like to come to church so I can see what your t-shirt says.” I hope that’s not her only reason for coming to church, but that day his shirt read, “I plan on living forever. So far, so good.”
3. Humor can help you make friends. This is a corollary of point #2. When people laugh, they connect.
4. Humor can lead to marriage. This is a corollary of point #3. When I returned to my home town after a year and a half at an out-of-state university, my friend Patty invited me to join a single young adults club at a local church. She had a male friend she wanted me to meet, but I only had eyes for Greg. When we were dating, by the end of the evening my facial muscles ached from laughing so hard. Within a month we were talking about marriage. We celebrated our 46^th anniversary this year. We’re still laughing together.
5. Humor makes you memorable. When you’re at a meeting with a lot of strangers, the one you’ll remember is probably the one who made you laugh.
6. Humor helps get you out of a funk. Sometimes it’s hard to find a silver lining when you’re enduring a depressing situation. You just have to hang on until it resolves. But you can escape for an hour by indulging in funny business.
7. Humor heals. Laughter is the best medicine, because it stimulates the immune system and lowers cortisol levels. Check out what the How Stuff Works people say.

I wanted to end this article with a funny video. I watched lots of contenders, but every video had at least one joke that I found offensive. So, instead, I’m posting an adorable video. It might not make you laugh out loud, but I guarantee it will make you smile.