Blog, September 28, 2020
Laughter is the best Medicine!
I think it’s time to lighten up folks. It’s been such a serious, scary and stressful year thus far. I don’t have to tell you, ya’ll know well enough. Since so many of the things I like to do as an outlet for stress have been shut down, what can we do?
Some of my favorite things to do (when life is more normal) is go to church & NA meetings, go hang with family, friends, NA events. Go to the movies and drive-in. I love concerts, really my most favorite thing to do. Go to the mountains and restaurants. Travel to see family and friends. Go to NA conventions. 😊
But, we can’t do those things right now, for the last six months. So, what else can we do? What makes you happy? Well, being stuck at home, I guess we always have to think of what we can do in this semi lockdown phase. We can watch funny movies and shows, comedies at home. Also, I have my husband, he is funny. Humor has been a corner stone of our relationship. I think most days I laugh out loud more than twice a day just with him, He’s a fun guy. 😊 We both have learned a little about rule # 62!, That’s an AA thing. Rule #62 says, “Don’t take yourself so serious”! lol
Many years back when I was going to school, working two and three jobs, raising kids, being of service in meetings and area, plus sponsoring, and being a deaconess at church and a housewife, I found myself wound up- tighter than a two-dollar clock! I was ready snap. I noticed I hadn’t laughed in a long long time. I was so serious all the time. So, I did a little step work and some prayer and I started watching A & E stand up comedian show, and other light hearted shows. One of them was an old rerun called “Laugh In”, that sounded like what I was looking for, laughter. I also watched the old Carol Burnett show and a guy would say to a lady in a regular routine they had “Lighten up Lady”. Lol, then she’d hit him with her bag. It was funny.
We had gone to an NA campout in the mountains and I remember telling my friends there about this amazing revelation I had. This wake-up call of Lightening up. I started having fun again. I still have to revisit that mantra from time to time throughout the years. There’s been so much pain and heartache throughout our life (me and my husband) that we have sunk into a deep thought of seriousness. It takes a minute to pull ourselves back up again. I use the same method, I work a step, say some prayers and lighten up and watch fun stuff, be with fun, lighthearted people, my grandkids are the best for this. Also do some of the things I love doing, like hiking, chill’n with friends and family and NA events. Also, I will go on an Artist Date when I am more into my Artist Way program.
Other things that make me happy are going to zoom meetings, telling jokes with my grandson, swimming with him, watching him shoot hoop and play. I enjoy writing (that makes me happy) and to work on my projects. I love Photography, traveling and learning about new places and people. Trying to get all my property and house all cleaned and organized- wait, not while I’m doing it, but when it’s all done, then I’m way happy!
Doing step work with my Sponsee’s, even if it’s on zoom makes me happy and sometimes, we laugh then too. I prefer meeting up with them though. It makes me happy that we are reading an NA book called “Living Clean, the journey continues”. We were in the zoom meeting a couple of weeks ago and the discussion we were having was in Chapter five, on Relationships, a big topic I tell ya. Anyway, there was a part where I shared with them how I use to laugh a lot with my sisters. My brother too.
Then, within a week my sister that has four more years clean than me, Shirley, she has 39 years, called me and there we were, laughing and laughing. I can’t seem to do that with just anybody. I do have a couple Sponsee’s that will laugh about stuff with me. A few other people, but it’s rare to get that belly laugh till you cry.
I tell you what, I’ve been watching the news a bit too much lately. I want to keep track of the fires and virus, anyway, sometimes I end up watching politics and other stuff going on. And even though there is way too much sad and stressful stuff going on, I sometimes find myself laughing out loud at some of the stuff they say on the news. You can’t even make some of this stuff up.
As they say, “Laughter is the best Medicine”. And boy oh boy do we need a little medicinal laughter these days. So, go ahead, make a list of what makes you happy and what makes you laugh. Those can be two different things. Once you have those lists, do at least one of them a day for a week. Lean into your “Happy List”. Strive towards it as best you can. I don’t know about you, but I really need to do this my own self, again.
Have fun, laugh and heal. Let your hair down, throw your cares to the wind, Let go and let God, chill, tell jokes, play games and color with the kids, or with yourself. Go visit a relative or friend that has a baby. Babies have a wonderful way of making us feel happy, giggly, we even start talking funny. Lol I catch myself talking like that to my dog too, lol, pets are great stress relievers too.
Our pastor tells the story of when our church was first being built and at the dedication, he told everyone, “I want this to a fun church”. Well, it is! That’s why I go there, he is a fun guy. I left a church where the pastor was so serious and like sad and mad every Sunday, I couldn’t take it anymore. We need to be lifted up. We were weary, our daughter had just dies, our sons were way strung out and crazy and my baby grandson was being put through insanity, I really needed encouragement. Our pastor now tells us the Biblical truth, he doesn’t sugar coat it, but he does it with a light hearted love and little jokes that we are drawn to.
Fun in Recovery! That’s our creed, that’s our code. We didn’t get clean to be miserable and take life so seriously. Yes, recovery is a serious thing, but without some laughter and fun, we can work ourselves into a stressed-out depression that will soon find us eligible for anti-depressants and a good high.
Question of the Week: What or who makes you laugh? What or who makes you happy? Write that down and refer to it often. Try to do at least one a day.