We often hear of two rituals that are to be observed in families, namely, praying together and eating together. But it’s time to talk loud about a third one. It is nothing but the times of laughter within the family circle.
Our homes have become a place where people are always in a hurry; come in and depart in a hurry, and behave as if they are too busy to have some relaxing or sharing of pleasant moments. Studying is stressful; work is stressful, and the responsibilities of life also create stress. The times of meeting and conversing end with serious questions and short answers to each other. The private moments are often consumed by the phone each one uses. This is a true picture of modern families. Both the children and the parents complain about each other that they are chased away, if they approach for something, asking not to disturb.
It has become necessary to create a new saying, “The family that prays together stays together” and “The family that laughs together stays together”. There is no doubt that when the father, mother and children share something humorous, they start laughing heartily which helps reduce the pressures of life and contributes to improving the bond of the family. Jokes, blunders and ‘self-trolls’ at work and study can be a source of laughter at the home table.
The following are qualitative observations about laughter:
- Laughter reduces stress hormones and helps you relax.
2. Laughter boosts the immune system and improves the health of the heart.
3. Laughter can increase the tolerance of pain – both mentally and physically.
4. Laughter can improve the length and depth of sleep.
5. Laughter helps improve memory power.
6. Laughter can increase the cohesion of social relationships.
However, it is good to have some stipulations when it comes to creating laughter at home.
- Indecent conversation and humour can destroy the sanctity of the family.
- Inducing sarcastic invitations to laughter may hurt the self-esteem of the family members.
- Avoid hurting the feelings of the members of the family by laughing at them by referring to their nicknames or physical disabilities.
- Finding innocent jokes takes practice. Care must be taken not to degenerate into banter and slander about those outside the home. Because what we practice at home is what we pass on to society.
- Home becomes a much more pleasant place when you can translate this harmony into travelling together, watching a movie together, cooking together, and cleaning the house together.
- Home is not an inn. Remember that one day we will leave home. There is no gift as great as the memories of the moments we shared and laughed together.
May our common interest about our should be the “Smiling Homes”.