Three Ways To Use Laughter To Get Through Life’s Toughest Times

Posted by Karyn Buxman

August 28, 2009

by Karyn Buxman

Ive never had cancer. But I can’t tell you how many times I begged God to let me bear that burden. My son, a strapping 22-year-old junior at the University of Missouri, woke up with an aching chest that turned out to be a malignant tumor. Hes only a boy, I pleaded. Ive had a great life. Let it be me”not him.

Chemo. Surgery. Hair loss. We were on the cancer whirlwind, watching wide-eyed as days passed and my son just seemed to get sicker and sicker. He stopped eating, his appetite gone because everything tasted metallic. And the worst of it was the wondering: how would this all play out? Would my son have a girlfriend, a family, a life…

For two decades, I’d studied, written and spoken about the therapeutic values of humor. It was time to walk the talk. It was tough. I won’t kid you. Being funny can be hard work. At times, we had to make a conscious effort to laugh. And yet sometimes, if we would just let it”it would just happen. Humor was a saving grace for all of us.

There was a time for tears, but there was a time for laughter. Many times, actually.

Some of the best laughs came from David’s roommates, who dubbed him Captain Cancer. One was a red-headed Italian color-blind art student. She saw Davids newly bald head as a marvelous canvas and begged to decorate it with colorful markers.

We laughed at home, we laughed at the hospital, and we laughed at work. David was working as a bouncer at a popular local bar. One of his friends worked with him, and together they were known as Tonto and the Lone Ranger. After a round of treatments, though, his nickname changed. According to the bar’s patrons, my son was now Chemo-sabi!

Many patients long for humor during their healing process. Allen Klein, author of The Healing Power of Humor, surveyed patients who were terminally ill about their feelings about humor. A vast majority (80%!) wished to laugh more. They wanted more humor — from the people around them. They also wanted the freedom to use humor themselves.

Proactively using humor helps heal the body and the spirit. How do you proactively use humor? Try the following:

Play: Make a Play List. This is a list of 10 low or no-cost things that are fun for you. Then, when you’re not feeling well, do something from the list. You dont wait until you feel better to play. You play and then you feel better.

Have props on hand: Magic 8 balls, silly toys, whatever makes you grin. This can jump start the play.

Collect: Collect funny books, magazines, movies and cartoons. Write down funny or embarrassing stories people tell you. Seek out jokes and funny stories. Take at least 15 minutes a day enjoying your collection.

Connect: Spend time with people who make you laugh. Skip the Negative Nellies who bring you down. Ask people to make you laugh”and do your best to make them laugh. All it takes is one joke.

Now David is cancer free. He’s engaged to be married next month. I learned so much from him during this time; lessons about courage and gentleness of spirit, and always, the importance of humor. A life well lived requires laughter!

About the Author:

Learn more about the healing power of humor by visiting Karyn’s website. And if you’re looking for hysterical nursing humor make sure to check out the Journal of Nursing Jocularity

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