For Your Health: Learning to Laugh at Yourself

By Fawn Weaver on Thursday, July 5, 2012

I wish I could express to you the love I now have for Cape Town, South Africa.  I expected it to be nice, even beautiful.  I did not expect breathtaking.  During my time here, I’ve had the chance to meet two lovely couples.

I don’t think I previously shared with you how I decided upon the couples I’d be interviewing as I travel the world in search of the secret to a happy marriage.  Although I’ve come to know many members of this club very well online, for this journey, it was important I interviewed people referred to me by people I personally know outside of the online world.

My first interview in Cape Town was referred to me by a good friend of a friend.  Although this lovely couple are thrice removed from a direct friendship, their reception of me from the moment they arrived at my hotel was warm, open, receptive and what some folks back home might refer to as southern hospitality.  It’s the South African way.

Ken & Dot are friends.  They make each other laugh and don’t mind when the other tells jokes about them.  When I ask Ken what prompted his impromptu marriage to Dot -he told her to mark a specific date on her calendar as they were both very busy with work and he wanted them to get married on that day- he says with a completely straight face, “It was tax season and I needed a deduction.” 

With that, Dot began laughing and said, “I’m going to get a tee shirt that reads, ‘I’m a tax deduction’.”  They make each other laugh.  Something I’ve seen time and time again with couples I’ve interviewed. 

Laughing is infectious and it’s so important in a lasting relationship, or at least that’s something I’m quickly learning being around all these wise couples.  Those who don’t take themselves that seriously, inside or outside of the bedroom, seem to just do better.  They argue less, agree alot faster, and truly enjoy each other’s company.

Laughter is one of the many keys to their loving marriage (I’ll share another one, they call their daily “boardroom meeting” tomorrow).  Laughter, overall, is known as one of the greatest stress reducers and relationship builders.  There’s even such thing as Laughter Yoga.  

It’s been said, Laughter is the greatest medicine.  And I must admit, I don’t know of a much better one.

Question: How well are you at laughing at yourself?  Do you find when you don’t take things so seriously it allows you to remain more lighthearted and allow for a friendlier relationship with your husband?

If you’re happily married and haven’t taken the time to join the Club, make sure to join us today.  It takes only seconds and, of course, it’s completely free.  Until tomorrow…make it a great day!

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Fawn Weaver is the USA Today® and New York Times® bestselling author of Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage, adopting the same name as the Club she founded in 2010. The Happy Wives Club community has grown to include more than 900,000 women in over 110 countries around the world. When she’s not blogging or working on her next project, she's happily doting over her husband of nearly eleven years, Keith.

 

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