I love laughter. I not only love to laugh but I love the sound of laughter – especially of kiddos and those with unique and quirky chuckles. I once sat down and discovered I have five different laughs (you can read about them here – see number 22), but I just realized my normal laugh is called a guffaw. “A guffaw?” you may question. Let me explain…
While doing a thesaurus search on “laugh” I found a delightful word I never knew: guffaw (pronounced: gə’fô). It means a loud and boisterous laugh; to laugh heartily; to roar with laughter. I have frequently joked that my normal laugh can be heard within a 2.68 mile radius. While attending seminary, I was told more than once my laugh could be heard all across campus. Similarly and somewhat ironic, at the end of the last Ellerslie semester, the students voted on “best laugh” – which I happened to win, even though I was on campus for only a couple days.
So why the muse on laughter? Last night one of the new Ellerslie students mentioned how much they enjoyed my laugh. I joked about the thunderous roar that explodes from my throat during times of glee, and it got me thinking about how colorless life would be without laughter. We have a two year old on campus named Gabe who has one of the best kiddo laughs I have ever heard. I could listen all day to his squeal of happiness and mentioned to a friend how we need to record his laugh to put on my iPod. My eleven-year-old buddy in Tennessee, Connor, has a great giggle – another iPod track to record. Oh the joy of laughter!
At this point in my life I couldn’t imagine being depressed – how utterly boarding, sad, and well … depressing. Laughter is absolutely delightful. I agree there are times to be serious, focused, sad, and lacking in the giggle department – but to live life void of all laughter would be tragic.
It is said of Jesus that in Him (literally at His right hand) there are pleasures (joy) forevermore (Psalm 16.11)! Did Jesus laugh? I have no doubt! His laugh was probably one that made all those around Him chuckle and made the children rush Him for a hug. May we today put a skip in our step, with held tilted back with a roar of laughter – a guffaw – on our lips.