Modern Family has become my absolute favorite show. Years ago, I would have waved it off, hating sitcoms and dismissing them as frivolous drivel. But you know what I’ve come to realize? Frivolous drivel is sort of important—at least in small doses. Laughter is so much more important to our lives than we give it credit for—not just for its health benefits, but for the way it makes us feel. So I don’t miss Modern Family for the sheer joy of it!

That said, I have been finding the show unexpectedly poignant lately. It’s welcome, for sure; it doesn’t detract from the show at all. But from the time that Jay cried over his mother’s holiday recipe to the time that Phil assured Claire that he did, indeed, take her advice to heart throughout his whole life—despite his dismissal of her wedge salad recommendation—it continues to pleasantly surprise me. The show isn’t just funny; it sneaks in meaning and togetherness and love when we least expect it, without weighting down the comedy.

This last week’s show was no exception (spoilers ahead). We all laugh as we watch Mitchell and Cameron add trophies to their mantle, with both Hailey and Mitchell acting like privileged, snotty nerds who can’t share their limelight—and then we realize that Cam has been hiding an entire plethora of trophies in just about anything you can think of—from raising livestock to fishing, cooking to music, to much in between—in the garage. All along, he had been protecting Mitchell from feeling inferior because of all of his accomplishments—and Mitchell had simply and smugly assumed that his award was the first in his family.

“Aww!” I told my husband, who, of course, just rolled his eyes. I find myself loving moments like this just as much as I love the comedy. That’s definitely a modern family for you. Aside from the entire family’s comfy financial status—which is anything but like a modern family’s—I think the show really does represent families in a fairly accurate light, with all of our craziness and quirkiness coupled with these meaningful, heartfelt moments. We could probably all make our own Modern Family and it would be just as funny and just as warm, if we all sat back and watched it,

Maybe we should do just that—especially when things seem so hard, and laughter feels far away. Looking at our lives and seeing both the heart and the humor in our misadventures could help us all survive this mess of an economy, as well as anything else the world has in store for us.