I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you, but here goes.

 

This is Ollie.

 

He is a character for sure, and a really good dog.

 

I can walk him off leash because he listens so well.

 

The kids across the street always want to see him, and when I have time, I bring him over.

 

Yesterday was one of those times.

 

Now, I said Ollie was good, but he does have his quirks, and I joke with him about how he gets me in trouble.

 

A few months ago, when I was bringing Ollie over to the kids across the street, he ran over to their flowers and took what seemed like an hour-long pee all over their shrubs and flowers.

 

And of course, their dad came out and saw the whole thing.

 

I told him I was sorry.

 

He laughed and, because he doesn’t have a dog, said he was going to return the favor to my shurbs. :)

 

So now, fast-forward to yesterday.

 

I brought Ollie over to see the boy.

 

And to my surprise, when I looked over, he was urinating on the boy’s shoe this time.

 

I screamed, “No!”

 

The boy looked down and eventually pulled his foot away, and I apologized profusely.

 

And of course, the dad came out again.

 

I told him I was sorry again, and he told me that he was going to return the favor to my son.

 

Meanwhile, I was just getting ready to take my son out, who had heard this whole thing.

 

As we got in the car, I told him, “Well, keep your eyes out, and I wouldn’t wear open-toed shoes for a while.”

 

The whole thing happened so quickly, and of course, we laughed.

 

It was too funny for me not to share.

 

And it got me thinking about how moments like this are so important for our souls.

 

Last week, I shared about the heaviness in the news and how what we put in our minds and our hearts affects us.

 

And this week, I wanted to share not only a moment that made me laugh, but how something like this would never make the news—and yet these moments happen all the time to you and me.

 

The only thing I’m doing here is sharing one of them.

 

To me, laughter is one of the great gifts of life.

 

And I’m not talking about cheap laughter where we make fun of others.

 

I’m talking about those moments when we enjoy the funny things that simply occur from living life itself.

 

Whenever I go to see a comedian, I always notice how much they curse in their act.

 

Because shouting out a curse word doesn’t take much creativity, and neither does taking cheap shots at people.

 

I share this not to judge, but simply to say that life has truly funny moments without all that.

 

And those moments of joy really do satisfy the soul and make us healthier.

 

But what about all the pain in the world?

 

I mean, last week I was speaking about a woman who did a horrible thing.

 

Should we really be laughing and enjoying life when so much is going on in the world?

 

My answer to that is yes.

 

So what do I mean?

 

There’s a quote that says:

 

“You can’t get sick enough to make others healthy, and you can’t get sad enough to make them happy.”

 

Our enjoying life and laughing doesn’t have to mean callousness or a lack of compassion.

 

In fact, I believe enjoying our lives and laughing can actually be part of the answer to turning things around in our world.

 

Because when we find the truly wonderful things in life and enjoy ourselves and each other, we are showing others the gift of life itself.

 

And if anything is going to help people get along, work together, care, and become more thoughtful, I don’t believe it will come from a place of heaviness and obligation.

 

I think it will come from a place of attraction and delight that they may have forgotten.

 

By finding joy in our lives, we are helping them to remember.

 

And even if it doesn’t change anyone else, what’s a better way to live?

 

Lastly, I’ll share a quote I heard for those who may feel bad when so much is going on in our world:

 

“Joy doesn’t betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine act of insurrection.”

—Rebecca Solnit

 

So this week, find moments of joy and allow yourself to fully enjoy them.

 

These are the gifts of life.

 

And better yet, create moments of joy for others.

 

Like Maya Angelou says, “Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

 

You never know how you can make a difference in someone’s life.

 

And honestly, in the end making a difference is what makes a good life.

 

Wishing you so much laughter that your belly hurts and something comes out of your nose.

 

Much love,

 

Bert