OPINION —
One thing I absolutely love about growing up in Opelika is that town folks love to tell good jokes and laugh. Laughter seems to bring our community together during happy and sad times. Our community loves to laugh. And this week is an especially good time to do so, as April 19 was recognized as Humorous Day.
Laughter and a sense of humor can yield many health benefits. A good, hearty laugh relaxes the whole body by releasing physical tension and stress. When sharing jokes and funny experiences, there seems to be an overall sense of well-being.
Medical research has shown that laughter protects the heart by improving the function of blood vessels and strengthening the blood flow. So, laughing is a good cardiovascular exercise. Laughing helps the heart like brisk walking, light running or jogging would. I love to be around little children who love to laugh and cheer as they meet each day. Their laughter is so contagious.
The ability to laugh promotes a positive outlook on life, joy and zest to live. Relieving anxiety and fear, as well as overall mood improvement, are also a few mental health benefits of laughter. Genuine laughter is infectious and a key ingredient in promoting many social benefits.
At this point of my column, since I am a senior, I am writing from a Baby Boomer’s point of view on how laughing can help us as we age. Laughter strengthens relationships and promotes group bonding among seniors. Sharing a good laugh can also reduce conflicts.
How do humor and growing old go hand in hand? So many of our favorite jokes by comedians, programs and books poke fun at the process of aging. Joking and kidding about age-related changes can ease a lot of anxiety because we are growing old together. This is so true in senior groups when clean, wholesome jokes are shared. Often, seniors make fun of themselves with other seniors as we walk down the lane of aging together. Laughter and optimism also improve resiliency in the way we cope with everyday life and its challenges. Laughter and humor are also shown to be natural, powerful medicines for chronic, degenerative conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
As an activity volunteer with seniors, I have seen the benefits of laughter firsthand. I have checked out DVDs from our local library with comedy shows from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Our local newspapers, in certain editorials and columns, promote conversation starters. We seniors love to get our Observer each week. We love our local news.
Friday, April 21, is Kindergarten Day. I know all of us remember our kindergarten teachers and how much they influenced and molded our lives. My kindergarten teacher was Miss Louise. I love the poem by Robert Fulghum titled “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” This poem presents such truth as he shares these things he learned in kindergarten:
1. Share everything.
2. Play fair.
3. Don’t hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. Clean up your own mess.
6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
7. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
And the list goes on.
The first kindergarten in the United States was opened in 1856 in Wisconsin. It wasn’t until 1873 that kindergarten was first incorporated into the public school system.
International Earth Day is celebrated the next day, April 22. God created such a beautiful world for us to live in and enjoy fellowship with our Creator. This is truly “our Father’s world.” How can we start teaching our young children to take care of our earth?
As a teacher of young children, I expose my students to nature through arts and crafts, as well as hands-on science lessons. Just walking outside in nature and familiarizing your child with leaves, grass, pinecones and rocks makes for good observation and science lessons. Turn it into a craft by collecting nature items and gluing them to a piece of paper or tagboard to make a nature collage. This allows you to spend valuable time with your child by taking little nature walks so they can feel the sunshine on their heads, the wind blowing against their little cheeks or the pitter-patter of raindrops.
As we are in the midst of spring and approaching summer, I would like to review the three R’s of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
1. Reduce: It’s important to stress to young children to be good stewards of what they have. Tell them to conserve energy by turning off lights. Gently remind them not to leave the water running from indoor faucets or outside sprinklers.
2. Reuse: Many moms who have raised young children are familiar with reusing materials they already have. Outgrown toys and clothes can be used and enjoyed by others. You can also use old newspapers for different purposes such as making kites, cutting out pictures or packing. Children are also thrilled to get birthday presents wrapped in the comic pages of newspapers.
3. Recycle: Train your child to throw cans, plastics, bottles and newspapers into the recycling bins so they won’t end up in landfills. These items can be used over and over again. When you stop by local fast food restaurants, point out to your child that brown napkins, bags, cups or cartons are made with recycled materials.
Last but not least, stress to your child not to be a “litter bug” inside or outside. Have yard or neighborhood cleanups, or simply get them in the habit of safely picking up trash when they see it.
Classroom Observer
Beth Pinyerd