Mexican Hats & The Chicken Lady

Okay, after all this serious stuff, I’m feeling the need for a laugh or two.  Proverbs 15:13, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”  To put it simply:  laughter is the best medicine.

I realize you may not be in agreement with me, but from my experience this has proven to be true.  I’m not saying that every time a trial comes Steve and I put on a happy face and prance around singing “I’m Walking on Sunshine.”  Although. that would be fun. Now I have a terrible urge to play that song really loud and dance, however, I will refrain as I am outside on my front deck and my neighbours already think I’m a bit odd.  There really are many distractions out here on this gorgeous day.  As I type I’m watching an ant creeping quickly…sorry, I’ll try and focus here.  Where was I…oh right…LAUGHTER!  Steve and I don’t have many serious bones in our bodies.  You know that one you hit and it hurts, but you chuckle because it hurts so much?  The humorous bone they call it.  Well, that is kind of what has happened with us during difficult times.  Of course we let the usual emotions show and come out, but somehow we always manage to laugh – even when it hurts.  We are really good at making each other laugh.  This wonderful coping mechanism has helped us through many circumstances.  If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at?  Bill Cosby said this, “You can turn painful situations around through laughter.  If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.”

We have so many stories and memories of these difficultly-funny circumstances that we would need a book to list them all.  I will try and recall some of the most fondest.  What would you do if your father stuck Cheesies up your nose when you were first recovering from a spinal cord injury and were embarrassed to be in the cafeteria with others in your same condition?  Or what about when that same father pushed you up to a La Senza store poster and walked away because you were so depressed and didn’t want to push yourself?  Have you ever laughed at the sound of a chicken clucking because it reminded you a sick lady that made all sorts of racket in French while in a Quebec hospital, her name just happened to be Madame Poulet.  Does anyone know how they came up with the name of Mexican hats?  That is one hat I would not want to put on my head.  Also, why do you always have to wear Johnny’s shirt?  Shouldn’t there be a shirt for every name?  Did you know with the amount of hospital frequent flyer miles we have we could travel somewhere new each day for a year?  I love buttons so a hospital room is not a good place for me when I’m bored.  What do you do when you look across the room at the WRONG time when your husband has a roommate?  Coming up with distinguished names for medical garments or equipment is always fun too.  Depends sounds so boring, but Fancy Pants (said like FawnSee Pawnts) is so much better.  Commodes and shower chairs become great thrones for kings, stories becoming better than Disney while on meds and come-as-you-are parties are all the rage.  I get that most of these will only be funny to us as we were there, but we wanted to give you a glimpse into what makes us laugh.  We do have a warped sense of humour, but hey, at least we’re smiling. So go ahead!  Give it a try!  Next time your in a bind, try to find something to laugh about.  It makes for great memories!

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”