I have said it before, but I try to find the opportunity to laugh at virtually everything and am blessed that I am surrounded by people from all over who share this spirit.
Here's a recent example, once again from my constant source and maybe inspiration for my condition... my family. In brief, my dad (bless him!) has been ill for years with so many debilitating conditions that I don't know how he survives. He has to go for some kind of cancer management treatment every six months, which is intrusive and stressful for all of us, and because of his low resistance it can be touch and go for him every time.
So when I know he is going, I make constant phone calls to my mum and sisters to suss out the situation to gauge if I have to be there to give whatever support I can give. Anyway, on the Thursday he was going for his treatment I made a call to my mum. Right from the off, by the sound of my mum's voice, I sensed the worst. I eased in with the "How are yous" and "What's going on" but every answer coming back was kind of muffled and I could hear as many breaths being caught as I could real answers.
Then I waded into the deeper waters of getting the update on my dad. The news came back about going into theatre and in recovery a short while ago, still heavy with the fractured delivery and my sense of uncontrollable emotion in her voice.
I then took a big deep breath and asked, "Mum, are you alright? You don't sound so good … what's the matter? You can tell me." Bracing myself for the worst I waited for the answer.
Then it came back: "Oh, it's nothing, I am just eating toffees!" The unbelievable relief transformed into guffaws of laughter from my end, interspersed with my lecturing of her never to do that to me again. I never expected to end that conversation with tears in my eyes from giggles but once again it cemented my belief that laughter is absolutely the best medicine.
One of the lovely readers, Jannie Van Der M, wrote in to tell me about a specific discipline of yoga called Laughter Yoga. I was press-ganged into ordinary yoga some years back by my ex-wife who attempted to cure my general hyperactiveness and addiction to boxing, which was upsetting her because it meant that I was constantly sporting black eyes and rib injuries.
I found the traditional form funny enough, repeatedly having to leave the serene, candlelit studio trying to hold down my totally childish, uncontrollable fits of giggles caused by watching overweight people trying to balance on one leg and shaking like jellies!
So no embarrassment Laughter Yoga seems like a fantastic idea, especially if I could go with my bunch of equally immature mates to whoop it up.
Once again, I recommend to all of you out there, that when life seems like a struggle and you are inundated with the worries of the world, forget the medicinal cures and the therapy; just seek out a situation where you can let yourself go, and laugh until your ribs hurt!
If you just want the sensation of your ribs hurting on the other hand, then just take up boxing!
Ding-Ding-Round-One-ingly Yours
