Laughs. We share them, send them, feel them, and seek them. We sing about laughter, talk about it, write about it, dream of it, and even Tweet about it. Sadly, sometimes we can’t spare even one laugh.

But the laughs are there, for the enjoying. Steve Martin said that a comedian’s job is simply “talking about what’s going on. And there will always be something going on.” This is good news, because, of all the gifts life gives us, humor is one of its sweetest. We laugh with our kids, laugh at our pets, and, sometimes, laugh right in the face of danger, fear, or grief.

Most of all, we love to laugh with those special people God has placed in our lives. This book celebrates laughter, in all its glory, foibles, and mysteries. In the following pages, you’ll find a literary feast of things ridiculous, remarkable, and downright wonderful. We hope this book will help you celebrate the many ways laughter can surprise, delight, amaze, comfort, and enrich life like nothing else on earth.