To begin, I’m going to take a page from a Blog I follow: Writing By the Numbers.
Number of family members or close friends recently diagnosed for or treated for cancer: 6
Number of hours sleep lost due to the above: More than I can count.
Number of hours spent writing on my novel in the last two months (excluding this blog and a business trip): 6
As my brother told me before going into surgery, “God has decided now is a good time to test us.” He then added, “After I wake up, whatever you do, do not make me laugh.”
Yeah right! He knew better than to expect that.
You see, I try real hard everyday to laugh. It might be a joke a friend e-mails to me, or a favorite sitcom, or my wife being her crazy self. But, sometime during the day I will find a way to laugh. I believe the main reason my wife and I are well into three decades of marital bliss, is because we laugh together everyday.
Please do not take it that I find anything amusing about the statistics listed above, quite the contrary. These are people I would take a bullet for and it tears me up everyday that they are in pain. However, I have seen first hand that, “laughter is the best medicine.” Laughter tends to dry the tears and heal the broken heart. Medical research has shown that laughter is one of the best stress reducers.
Many times, as a youngster, my mother would get mad at me. When she finished yelling at me, I would begin to laugh. She would become more angry and I would continue to laugh until finally she would shake her head and start laughing with me. I did not laugh at her anger. that would have been foolish and probably ended with me sitting on a sore butt for a few hours. No, my laughter was a defense mechanism. It was how I tried to diffuse the situation. When I lost my mother a few years back, I cried until I started to laugh. It was her way of getting back at me.
My writing has suffered and I’m okay with that for now. I know “this too shall pass” and soon I’ll get back to the keyboard. So, hug your family and do something fun. Tonight, I’m going to open a bottle a snazzy beer. put the cat fight from Puss ‘n Boots in the DVD player, and ROFLMAO!!!
Tomorrow’s a new day.
Tales From The Hare 
annewoodman
March 17, 2012 at 7:04 am
Oh, Dennis, I’m so sorry. It’s so strange that difficult and tragic situations seem to come in a bunch, instead of in a mannerly sort of order… car trouble this year, cancer the next, surgery the next (trying to see the humor, as you say). I heartily agree that you have to try to find humor where you can… and sometimes, that is much harder than other times. I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Dennis Langley
March 19, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Anne-
Thank you for your support, They say it comes in threes and so it did. Three family members and three friends. It will most likly be a very busy spring and summer.
-Dennis
Traci
March 18, 2012 at 9:39 am
You’re so right about laughter. Too bad it’s not always easy to laugh. My best to you and your loved ones who are dealing with illness.
Dennis Langley
March 19, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Thanks, Traci. I appreciate your support.
-Dennis
Christopher Patterson
March 18, 2012 at 9:43 am
I’m glad that you have a good coping mechanism like laughing, instead of the many bad habits that others of us tend to rely upon during tough times. I pray your friends and family improve.
Dennis Langley
March 19, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Thank you, Chris. I also have the bad coping mechanisims. I just thought I would admit to the good one. 🙂
-Dennis
4amWriter
March 18, 2012 at 8:09 pm
This post reminds me of my daughter when she was a toddler and going through a stage of bad behavior (she was, and typically is, a very good girl). But we had this stage where we’d have to send her for time-outs. She was totally fine with it! She’d shake her curls and march right upstairs without an argument. But, she always grabbed her fave blankie on the way. As long as she had that source of comfort, she was able to withstand the ‘trauma’ of a timeout.
Laughter is the best medicine. As are blankies.
My best wishes go out to you and your family.
Dennis Langley
March 19, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Thank you for your support. Here’s to good medicine, in all its varieties.
-Dennis