Thanks for column about laughter

To the editor:

I just ran across the wonderful column, "Healing will come; until then there's laughter" by Jeff Long.

I was so pleased to see that Long included our organization, Rx Laughter, and that he accurately described our belief that laughter is not a cure-all, as our Web site states. As you may know, we have done much work in the area of humor, and our studies indicate that entertainment that is uplifting and humorous is generally far more beneficial overall than the sole act of laughing for those in pain and distress.

However, I agree with Long's eloquent statement that laughter is often the sign of the beginning of the healing process. Being able to exhale and forget about our problems through laughter is indeed an important moment and can be a turning point in some instances.

Thank you again for this wonderful column.

SHERRY DUNAY HILBER, Founder, Rx Laughter, Cambria, Calif.