According to Osho, humor in hard times arises from meditation-born awareness of our deathless nature; then even death is 'a joke.' Laughter and song become a way to pass through crises consciously, free of fear, seeing endings as transformations. This playful stance isn't denial; it flows from living meditatively and knowing life's eternity.
If you learn through meditation that your true self can't be hurt, tough times feel less scary, and you can even smile through them.