Sometimes we all get up on the wrong side of the bed. At other times, tension overtakes us as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. How can we center ourselves - find a way to let go of our troubles and get back to a happy, loving place? Laughter is a powerful vehicle for releasing tension and helping us focus on the positive.

One Sunday morning, the day after Halloween, I walked behind a 3-year-old girl in an angel costume. Her mother was just pinning a sign on her back that said, "This was not my idea." The little angel spun around as she walked down the aisle, twirling her full white skirt. She was obviously enjoying the moment. Her mother trailed behind her, hiding her embarrassment under a fashionable broad-brimmed hat. I put my arm around her mom and said, "Your charming daughter has lightened everyone's day. Thanks for bringing your angel to church."� The mom laughed and rolled her eyes.

Aren't children wonderful? They give the world a new perspective that we, as adults, sometimes forget.

I attended a meeting where a little boy took off his shoe and twirled it around his head by the lace, eventually letting it fly. It sailed across the room into an older lady's lap. Startled, she turned around and saw the little boy hang his head in embarrassment. Then she began to snicker - soon everyone was smiling. Witnessing that incident gave me a happy heart for several days to come. The chuckle inside me lasted and lasted. I still smile when I think of the incident.

My mom was single when my brother and I were growing up. She was widowed and there were no close male role models with whom my brother could identify. One day he decided to shave, so he found an electric razor and sheared off his eyebrows. He looked just like a ghost. She laughed and painted eyebrows on him with a make-up pencil, and off to school he went. That has been a favorite story in our family for years and has lightened many a dinner conversation. The grandchildren still enjoy it.

Laughter is a marvelous way to reverse the negativity inside us and help us lighten up. Silly movies and jokes keep positive power in our lives. Remember the scene in Mary Poppins where Uncle Albert tells Bert jokes? They laugh so hard they float up to the ceiling with the tea table. Jane and Michael join in the fun and drift up. I feel happy just thinking of it. What a wonderful metaphor that scene gives us. Laughter helps us rise to greater heights and also provides a connection to those around us. Let laughter help lighten up and keep your conduit open to giving and receiving love.