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Aging brings plenty of surprises, and not all of them are welcome. From the changes we notice in the mirror to the everyday challenges that come with getting older, sometimes the best response is to find something to laugh about. Humor won’t make life’s difficulties disappear, but it can make them a little easier to handle.

In the Fall 2026 issue of Healthy Aging® Magazine, Diane Dean-Epps, humor writer, speaker, and author of BANGS ’N’ BOTOX: My Aging Journey Into, Through, and Beyond Denial, Fillers & Human Preservatives, shares how finding the funny in life’s not-so-funny moments has helped her navigate everything from stressful situations to health challenges and the realities of growing older.

Drawing on personal experiences, including a memorable teenage mishap involving locked car keys and a resourceful father, Dean-Epps explores how humor became an essential part of her everyday life. What began as an appreciation for a good laugh eventually evolved into a coping mechanism, a creative outlet, and a way to put life’s challenges into perspective.

She also looks at the different kinds of humor that make people laugh, from observational comedy and amusing personal stories to wordplay and self-deprecating jokes. There’s no single formula for what’s funny, and that’s part of the appeal. Discovering what makes you laugh can help relieve stress, lift your spirits, and connect you with others.

Dean-Epps offers practical encouragement for finding more humor in everyday life, whether through a favorite sitcom, a funny friend, or simply learning to recognize the absurdities that come with aging.

You don’t have to be a comedian to appreciate the benefits of a good laugh. Sometimes all it takes is looking at a familiar situation from a slightly different angle.

Read the full story, only in Healthy Aging® Magazine.