Thursday, November 4, 2010

#4- Laughter is the Best Medicine

My dad always said that laughter was the best medicine.
Which is why several of us died of tuberculosis.
-Jack Handy

My favorite emotion.


I remember the first time that I laughed after John died.
  I stopped mid cackle, because I thought I was breaking a very serious law.
It was really quick that I realized that the only way I was going to make it,
was through a lot of (self deprecating) laughter.

In the first few months, I couldn't watch T.V.
I couldn't listen to music at all.
I read a lot, but they were all books on grief (not super uplifting).
So, in order to hold on to my sanity I watched the only thing that kept me afloat...
That's right. 
Me and Buddy the Elf have the same favorite color.
We both love the four basic food groups
Candy
Candy Canes
Candy Corns and
Syrup

I think I watched that movie 37 time is a few weeks.
It was the only thing that made me feel human, and that was because I was laughing.
For those who sit at home and wallow in their grief or circumstance I say...

5 comments:

  1. O how amazing you are!!!!!! I actually had never seen Elf till you told me about this story so I went home and watched it and it is HILLARIOUS :) So thanks for the tip :)

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  2. this is one of the greatest movies EVER!

    i know what you mean about laughing. i have a feeling you and i are going to run into several of the same things in the next 22 days that we are both grateful for. this is one i planned to talk about in a later posting.

    of all people, YOU are someone who is a great example of finding humor in crazy places. being around you brings a smile to my face because you are so funny. i love how often we can laugh when we are talking to each other even about the death of our husbands. we have to laugh or we would cry, right?

    good one. great posting.

    p.s. i don't remember the first time i laughed after aaron died... but what i do remember is that it felt wrong for weeks... and months actually. but i tried really hard to break through it and laugh no matter how unnatural it felt at the time.

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  3. "What are you some kind of KOOK" "STOP IT" loved it :) needed that this morning...maybe I'll have to go watch Elf...I've never seen it (I know...I must be some kind of KOOK)

    Laughing is a defense mechanism for me...it is good medicine :)

    oh and for the record...I miss my weekly Jack Handy fix

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  4. I believe that this is the best piece of advice that any psychiatrist has ever given. Also, it was so reasonably priced.

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  5. Thank Goodness for Elf! I think i can probably still qoute it. There may have been a world record broken for watching nothing but the same movie for what 4 months? I am grateful that you laugh every day and let me share in that laughter.

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