LAUGHTER & EXTREME ADVERSITY
Years ago, I attended the wake and funeral services of a friend who was killed in a car crash. He was loved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. I have been to many wakes, viewings, funeral services and memorials throughout the course of my life, but there was something special about this one in particular. An awareness came over me that caused me to view the losses in my life from a different perspective.
When the funeral service was over, a group of us met at a relatives house. As you can imagine, people were wiping away tears and consoling one another. Some were understandably having difficulty accepting the unfair twist of fate that life had thrust upon him. We all were.
From across the room, I overheard an acquaintance telling part of a story that I was familiar with about our friend when he was in high school. I noticed that a few people were laughing along with it. Then someone else joined in on the conversation and offered an anecdote about the dearly departed’s affinity for football. Before long, everyone in the room was laughing and reminiscing about the good times they had. In the midst of all the laughter, I had a strange, uplifting feeling come to me. This feeling can best be described as a smile from within. I realized I was no longer grieving over my friend.
My energy immediately shifted and I was temporarily delivered from my pain. At that moment, I think we all felt a special connection to him. In fact, his wife said, “You know I miss him and always will, but right now, I feel like a part of him is with us and always will be.” Then she paused and said, “It’s as if he’s saying to all of us, It’s okay. I’m okay. Everything is as it should be and I will always be with you.”
Of course, we all started crying again, but this time, they were tears of hope. At that given moment his death was not the point of focus. The only thing that mattered was the powerful feeling we were all experiencing. We were celebrating and embracing the spirit of our love for him. It was our ability to laugh and reminisce about the good times that ignited that powerful sense of his spirit. In such a short time, our Humor Beings took us from a place of pain and uncertainty to a place of inner peace and hope. Laughter made us realize that, throughout our life journey there are no goodbyes, only good memories. The spirit moves on, and we all move on, in turn, in life. We all felt the smile from within that day. I believe laughter derives from the spirit. It has a magical way of breaking down barriers that make us feel like we are alone and reminds us that somehow we are all connected. We all have fear and pain to deal with. It’s part of life, period. Laughter has a way, though of smoothing out the wrinkles and gives us enough hope and peace to move on.
Suffering may not be unavoidable, but just plain suffering can be avoided. Finding the laughter in between the tough times is essential to living a happier life. It’s your Humor Being, urging you and reminding you that life still goes on, regardless of whether you like the way it goes or not. There will be good times and bad times, but in the end, all you’ll really leave behind are memories. So you might as well attempt to enjoy them all!!!