MERRILLVILLE | Experts say laughter is good for the body and the soul, and so it was a very healthy gathering recently at The Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, where humorist Lola Gillebaard had fellow senior citizens smiling, chuckling and nodding as she talked about her life, her family and the humorous pitfalls of getting older.

Gillebaard's appearance was sponsored by Wittenberg Lutheran Village in Crown Point, which hosted residents and prospective residents of its planned Villa Homes and Greenview Terrace Suites.

"Feel free to laugh as much as you want," said Wittenberg Marketing Director Pam Pazera, who welcomed the audience along with Roger W. Paulsberg. president and CEO of Lutheran Life Communities.

Weighing only 1 lb. 8 oz. at birth, Gillebaard suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and doctors "told my parents that I'd never make it - but they didn't believe them and I didn't hear them, so I celebrated my 78th birthday six months ago."

Explaining how her father wore a red clown nose to cheer her up during frequent hospital stays as a child, she recalled that he gave her her own red nose when she left for Salem College and also shared his "Red Nose Attitude" with her.

Gillebaard said the RNA led her to drive a red Volkswagen Beetle with yellow flames painted on the sides and a license plate that reads "HAHAHA."

"When I get stuck in traffic, I put my red nose on and watch people come back around a second time to see if they really saw what they saw," she said. "Laughter is the handshake of good communication."

Gillebaard explained that her humorous outlook on life has helped she and her husband reach 54 years of wedded bliss and raise four sons. "I was a great mother - until I had kids," she quipped.

While laughter is important throughout life, added Gillebaard, she gave her audience the okay "to exercise your right to mope" when necessary, as long as they "tell those you love that you are going to mope, tell them when you'll be done, and finish on schedule."

She also suggested dealing with difficult people by giving them a compliment - even if it's tough not to lie. "Tell them 'Your phone has a beautiful ring' or 'I love the way your shoes match'" and watch them try to figure it out, said Gillebaard with a sly grin.

"Aging is fun, because you are alive. It sure beats the alternative," Gillebaard added.