HOW LAUGHTER HEALS
““It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either”. - Wayne Dyer
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The chilly November morning would make anyone want to stay in bed for as long as possible. The feather and down duvet kept me warm despite the heater issues still not having been resolved. I hope to avoid having to call the landlord and might have to continue sleeping in the children's room until winter is over. Still, I wonder why the heater worked last week but not this week.
Braving the frigid weather, I put on my gym clothes and headed out for my workout. Upon return and a warm shower, I checked my email. I laughed at the email staring back at me. A Facebook friend request from my 'friend'. 'Are you sure about this?', I emailed him. I knew how he avoided the use of social media. We decided to think about it and talk about our decision when we saw each other on Skype later in the day.
As this was my friend's last week of vacation, we took advantage of that time to see each other often via Skype. My friend commented on how much happier I look and how I no longer appear tired as many times before. I recall his past statements of 'You're always tired'. It was true and no amount of sleep seemed to help.
After my return home last week, I wanted to find the source of my constant fatigue and mood swings I felt the past year - the stress of an impending divorce aside. I researched the side effects of birth control use. Depression and fatigue were among the many side effects cited. Having abandoned the pills this past week, I've felt no signs of either symptom thus far. Laughter had a hand in healing as well.
Returning to our decision of becoming friends on Facebook, we agreed we would wait. Just as introducing a new girlfriend or boyfriend to one's children after divorce should be approached with caution and done no earlier than six months after the start of the relationship, so an 'introduction' on social media should also be viewed.
Smiles were prevalent during our talk this afternoon - my afternoon, his nighttime. The time difference is a challenge, as is the distance, but there is never a shortage of laughter. Something he said caused an uncontrollable bout of laughter. At the moment, I cannot recall what it was which caused such outburst. 'You're crying', he said. 'It's so funny', I replied as I continued to laugh.
The healing power of laughter is a strong force. It has a way of making things better - even if for a short while. Despite the past unhappy circumstances and challenges, smiles and laughter make their way regularly into our lives now. Difficult times and challenges will always be a part of life, but as long as laughter is present nothing is impossible.
