Reader’s Digest has always featured a section in their magazine entitled Laughter is the Best Medicine. It would be hard to dispute that statement. I love a good laugh and I love hearing others laugh. I always feel better after a good laugh.

I have to say that it has been a long time since I laughed till I cried, especially at the movie theater where Hollywood’s idea of comedy rarely produces anything worthy of a good laugh. That changed for me when I went to see the screening for Moms’ Night Out. I don’t usually endorse movies, even good ones, but this one is different. I really did laugh—a good kind of laugh that brought tears. It seemed most everyone else in the theater did the same.

Moms’ Night Out is a refreshing and worthwhile comedy—a crazy, high-energy, laugh-‘til-you-cry film that most every mother and grandmother will instantly relate to and enjoy. But guess what? So will every dad and granddad. In fact, it is a film every member of the family, young and old, will love and get. This rib-splitting comedy brings the realities of parenthood to the big screen with exaggerated, over-the-top adventures that bring the real-life realities of parenthood (especially for moms) into sharp focus for all of us.

The message that being a Mom is hard, and that it is the most important role in the world, is presented in a poignant and tender way by the character you might least expect to deliver it.

This film is not just about moms and a well-deserved break. It’s also about the joy and importance (and chaos) of life, marriage, family and friends all at the same time. The crazy antics in this film remind us to not take ourselves so seriously sometimes, and that life does manage to continue with some successes in spite of ourselves. We are all human, and even when we occasionally do some off-the-wall (even stupid) things, God does not leave us hanging out there by ourselves.

So why am I telling you about the movie, Moms Night Out, in a grandparenting blog? Because as a grandparent, I believe ‘grand-moms’ need a mom’s night out too. This movie is a powerful and fun way to let them know how much they are valued as mothers and grandmothers. After all, grandmothers still understand the pressures and challenges of motherhood. In fact, many of you have been forced to step into the role of ‘mom’ a second time. It’s hard enough being a mom when you’re young, but to now assume that role with your own grandchildren can feel overwhelming at times. Yet you do it with courage, perseverance, and love. In my book, that makes you worthy of double honor. It’s time for a well-deserved ‘mom’s night out’ for you.

I don’t know about you, but I plan to collect as much of my family as I can for a Moms’ Night Out experience at the movies on Mother’s Day weekend. I hope you will do the same. It’s nice to be able to go to the theater and not be embarrassed about what shows up on the screen. This is that kind of movie. In fact, I think you will find it good medicine for the heart and soul.

So, I say… “Grandpa, make a call right now to your family members who live nearby and tell them you’re taking them all to see Moms’ Night Out because you want all the moms in your family to know that they rock—even when they don’t think so! I can’t think of a better way to honor Mom and make her smile. That’s worth the price of admission and more for sure! I suspect she will agree.