For me, humor is everything!

In the grand theatre of life, where the human soul faces trials and triumphs, there exists a force as ancient as time itself—humor. It is the flame that lights the darkest of nights, the breath that refreshes the weary, and the balm that soothes the most profound of wounds. Judy Gold speaks to this eternal truth when she declares, "For me, humor is everything!" In these simple words, she reveals the profound wisdom that humor is not merely a fleeting amusement, but a powerful force, an essential cornerstone of the human spirit. Through humor, we are able to rise above the harshest trials and find joy in the most unlikely of places.

Since time immemorial, humor has been the language of the human soul—a way to connect, to heal, and to survive. The ancients understood that laughter was not just a fleeting reaction to a joke, but a divine gift that could lift the spirit from the depths of despair. Consider the great Greek philosophers, whose lives were filled with struggles, yet who turned to wit and irony to make sense of the world. Socrates, in his quest for truth, often employed humor to expose the follies of those around him, using laughter as a mirror to reflect the absurdity of life. Through humor, he cut through the veils of ignorance and pretense, helping to awaken the minds of his followers.

Judy Gold, in her own way, embodies this ancient wisdom. For her, humor is not just a tool for entertainment—it is everything. It is the lens through which she views the world, the weapon with which she fights the battles of life, and the refuge where she finds strength in times of hardship. In a world often filled with sorrow, loss, and struggle, humor becomes the anchor, the force that keeps us grounded and connected to one another. It is the reminder that even in the face of the most daunting challenges, we can still find light—we can still find joy.

History, too, offers countless examples of those who relied on humor to carry them through the darkest of times. Take, for example, the story of Anne Frank, whose words in her diary continue to inspire generations. In the midst of hiding from the horrors of war, Anne found solace in humor. Her keen wit, even in the face of unimaginable fear and suffering, became a way for her to preserve her humanity and her sense of self. Her humor was not born of naïveté, but of a deep understanding of the human condition—the recognition that even in the most tragic circumstances, there is a need to laugh, to find something to hold onto, something that can remind us of our shared humanity.

But humor, as Gold suggests, is not simply a reaction to pain or suffering—it is a way of life, an approach to the world that transforms even the most mundane moments into something sacred. To see the world through the lens of humor is to find meaning in life’s absurdities, to embrace the inherent contradictions of existence with a knowing smile. Mark Twain, the great American humorist, understood this truth deeply. His sharp wit and irreverence were tools that allowed him to navigate a world filled with social injustice, inequality, and human folly. Through his humor, he illuminated the dark corners of society, exposing its flaws while offering a message of hope and transformation. Humor, for Twain, was not just an escape—it was a means of engagement, a way to call out the absurdities of the world while keeping hope alive.

And so, the lesson that Gold imparts is clear: humor is not a luxury—it is essential to our survival. It is the force that sustains us in the face of adversity, the bond that connects us to one another, and the wisdom that allows us to see the world not only as it is, but as it could be. Humor allows us to transcend the limitations of the material world, to rise above our troubles, and to view them with perspective. It is the elixir that makes life bearable, even in the darkest of times.

In our own lives, we must take heed of this wisdom. When the weight of the world presses down upon us, when the challenges seem insurmountable, we must turn to humor as our ally. Let us not shy away from the absurdities of life, but rather, let us embrace them with laughter. Let us find the humor in the mundane, the joy in the struggle, and the lightness in the heaviness of our burdens. By doing so, we honor the gift of humor and affirm its power to transform our lives. For in the end, humor is everything—it is the force that makes life worth living, the force that carries us forward when all else seems lost.