I contend that not only can you laugh at adversity, but it is essential to do so if you are to deal with setbacks without defeat.

The tragedy of September 11th was so sudden, so enormous, and so horrendous, both in terms of lives lost and global consequences, that this country and the world went into immediate and prolonged shock.

Laughter can help relieve tension in even the heaviest of matters.

There are no language barriers when you are smiling.

Humor can help you cope with the unbearable so that you can stay on the bright side of things until the bright side actually comes along.

Laughter, and the broader category of humor, are key elements in helping us go on with our life after a loss.

Sometimes it takes ten seconds to see some humor in your dilemmas, sometimes ten years.