Happiness Prescribed

Proverbs 17:11 “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

When’s the last time you laughed with your kids? Do you notice the way their eyes light up when you, Parent, think they’re funny? Try it and see if it doesn’t instantly draw them closer to you. It’s easy to get so caught up in day-to-day parenting that we forget to delight in our kids. Proverbs 17:11 says, “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Could happiness and joy be the exact prescriptions your family needs to heal broken places? 

One of my most treasured memories of my mom is from when I was about 3 ½ years old. She was standing at the door of our open refrigerator when I walked into the kitchen. I could tell she was searching for something when she turned to me and asked, “Jena, have you seen the tub of yogurt we bought at the store a few days ago?” Immediately my hands flew to my face to cover my astonishment and shame. At that instant, I recalled hiding the prized yogurt under my bed the day we came home from the store in an attempt to not share it with my brother. 

My mom could have had several reactions in that moment. However, she chose the most memorable one for me: She laughed! In my 3 ½-year-old conscience, I knew I had made a bad decision. I’m sure she addressed my new food hoarding tendency in her own way, but mostly I just remember her laughter. “A happy heart is good medicine,” the proverb says. What if our happy hearts weren’t meant to be good medicine just for us, but good medicine for those we’re in relationships with as well?  

My mom passed away from cancer about a year after our yogurt incident. I doubt she knew our moment in the kitchen would forever be etched on my mind and go on to influence the way I parent my own daughters. It’s never about the yogurt. I can parent with joy and delight and still raise up people who know the difference between right and wrong. I can laugh with our kids when they make silly mistakes (even for selfish reasons), and yet still communicate expectations clearly. Because it’s Mother’s Day this month, let your mom know how much you enjoy her, and see if you can’t find reasons to laugh out loud with your kids. 

Faith & Family columnist Jena Meyerpeter hopes your Mother’s Day is filled with joy and laughter.