Longevity Secrets from the Life of Bill Pritchett

We laughed and laughed and overflowed with gladness. We were left shouting for joy and singing your praise. Psalm 126:2 TPT

I chose this picture with Dad because we are both laughing. This is how I remember family times and cherish his legacy of teaching me to learn to laugh at myself. Like him, I will get tickled instead of getting frustrated.

One of my fondest memories as a child was the laughter around the dinner table. We often had guests and they would enter in to the joy. Dad loved to tell jokes at the dinner table. He would start laughing as he got started and would forget the punch line but we would laugh just because he laughed so hard. My brother, Darrell, was the same way. He would get tickled in the middle of a joke and have us all laughing. Then the punch line would fall flat but it didn’t matter because we had such a good time. Mom laughed heartily when either one told a joke – it was like having a personal laugh track.

The last four months were hard for Dad who had been healthy and pain-free most of his 101 years. What I noticed most of all is that he chose to laugh every day. He made the decision to find humor where he could find it rather than having a cynical, sarcastic outlook. He had an eternal perspective and taught us well how to take each day on its own merit while looking for the fun times to come.

Laughter is the gift you give yourself and everyone around you. It comes as a result of a changed perspective and a strong decision to see the humor in every situation. It’s not easy to do and yet, you can improve your odds of living a rich life with greater strength and a sharp wit just like Dad.

Longevity Secret #12:

When facing difficult times, change your perspective so you can laugh every day. It’s your best medicine so don’t miss your daily dose of chuckles.

This post is part of the Write 31 Days 2019 challenge. Click here to find more longevity secrets.

Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through. As a caregiver and widow she took brave steps forward to fulfill God’s calling on her life. She has now remarried and enjoys her new hubby and spending time with their children and grandchildren. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, check out her Facebook page – The Power of Hope.