Weight Weight Just Love Me – Laughter – Day 58
Michelle LaBrosse, CCPM, PMP, PMI-ACP, RYT
Finding the humor everywhere is a big part of who I am.
Several months ago I had the good fortune to participate in a laughter yoga program run by my friend Jackie Ruggirello. Now I love to laugh as much as the next person. It’s actually part of my stunning personality – to be jovial. As my assistant Rita says – “laughter is a major subject you know. You have an intoxicating laugh. It’s not even anything is all that funny, but because you’re laughing, I laugh. I don’t mean any offense by this.” (none taken). But here I’m sitting down to write this blog post, just wondering how I can make this funny – LOL.
I did find a home for my laughter during the laughter yoga program – it was with humor. Sitting around and just laughing, well that was fun, but it is even more fun to have a reason to laugh. Now granted I do laugh at some things that wouldn’t be all that funny – like that IRS audit. But even then, we found the comedy with that. Like we had to do photo shoot that showed me working with the cattle as the IRS was saying since I did not actively manage the cattle ranch, I could not deduct it – this was actually NOT true. But that is not the point of this – even with the IRS audit, we were able to find the laughter. My assistant printed off an 8×10 color glossy photo of the picture on this blog for the attorney to use with the IRS to prove I was actively involved in the operations of my cattle ranch. It even became the front page of our business plan.
Laughter truly is great medicine and it’s found it’s way into my medicine chest to cope with some intensely challenging times. Like when I was caring for the person who’s laughter I inherited – my mother. That phase was the best of times and the worst of times. Our norm together was laughter and this was no different. There was much comedy in the crazy situations we found ourselves in together while dealing with her brain cancer. What brings this to mind was a conversation I had with my oldest daughter last night. She learned by taking care of my mother with me, your true personality is the last thing to go. My daughter commented my biggest asset is my personality with my abilities to laugh at just about anything. With my Mom, even though she became paralyzed and her brain was fairly compromised with the brain cancer, she still found the humor in many parts of this experience. I figure if she and I could laugh together through that, well I can laugh through just about anything.
I’ve found though that some people don’t quite get this laughter part of me. And they question my sincerity (even integrity) if I’m laughing and making light of my foibles. While I want to be compassionate, even empathic, I do question how this is for my best and highest good to be in these situations? Then I remember my calling – to be love and joy in action and realize, yes I need to find the gallows humor here too. Seriously how people don’t find a lovable cherub who finds the humor in just about everything the best thing to ever walk into their life is absolutely beyond me. I need to recall as part of this loving myself more challenge- she who laughs first, laughs longest and lasts longest.
Kate’s comment: What Anne said – about your true personality being the last thing to go – is so true. I think Memere’s personality is still alive and well, because when I think of her, I remember her laughter. That’s the picture and impression that will be my lasting memory of her. Keeping her true personality alive in my thoughts and remembering it daily brings her back each time.
