Dogs laugh. When they wag their tails, they’re happy. We do it differently,” Rosemary Verri reminds her fellow human beings. The professional speaker and humor educator from Boston says humor not only enhances our lives, but nurtures the good feelings in others.

The humor experience

"Joke telling is only a small part of humor," she says. Basically, humor means "finding what is good."

Humor is what brings you joy, comfort, peace.

It may bring a laugh to your belly and will always bring a smile to your face. A "humor experience" could be a witty remark, a playful moment, or giving or receiving a compliment.

Smiling—the simplest form of humor—is key, Rosemary says. Think about those moments when you’ve been disarmed by a smile, she suggests. "What makes you think your smile’s not as powerful?"

Early in her career, Rosemary worked with older clients who were blind. She never forgot one piece of advice she received:
"When you’re speaking to a blind person; always smile," she was told. "The blind can hear it in your voice."

No matter how it is expressed, humor is the condition of being "in fun" or being "at play," Rosemary says.

"And you would be wise to call them something. Then you can identify them, find them again. I call them bon-bons.

From the French word for "good," Rosemary’s bon-bons include her four children. "Of course, your bon-bons don’t have to be that big," she says.As you go throughout your day, "you’re bound to hear something that doesn’t sit well," she adds."Let it be. Don’t worry. Concentrate only on those things you found to be good, valuable, fun. "Those are all bon-bons. And they all count. Add ’em up."

Follow a child’s example

Everyone is born with the ability to see things funny, she says. "That’s developed."
How can you add more humor to your life? "Watch children," Rosemary advises. "Watch how they talk to each other, how they talk to you. Listen to how they solve problems. They have a different perspective; a different view. You never hear a 5-year-old say to a 5-year-old, ‘Act your age,’" Also, if you’re going to look back into your childhood, find some things there that brought you joy; that brought you fun.
"Where did you find your peace?" she asks. "There’s a thread back there to help you. Find it because that’s how your replicate today."

Laugh at the mirror

'"Your person is the funniest material you've got." says Rosemary. "If you learn to laugh at yourself, you'll never run out of good material."

A true humanitarian, Rosemary says she plans to donate her body to medical science in the belief that doctors, every now and then, also need a laugh.

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"Of course, you have adversity," she adds. "If you didn’t have adversity, you’d be—dead. "I am suggesting to you humor. Your sense of it; your sensitivity to it; your search for it every single day will keep you in control. It allows us to manage us. It allows us to constantly make adjustments.
"Go to the novelty store and read the buttons," she suggests. "You will laugh."
One of her favorite buttons reads, ‘I may be fat, but you’re ugly, and I can diet.’
Another says, ‘Youth is a gift of nature; age is a work of art.’ "Isn’t that sweet?" she asks. "I wear that button. People smile. Mostly old people."