iSmile

To take the most uncomfortable situation and make it funny is not really difficult for me. With the doctors and nurses in my life, I have always been able to find humor or smiles, even if it’s after I get home. I told one nurse my blood was slightly greenish in color, but she shouldn’t be surprised or afraid when she stuck me for the sample. ; ) Nothing can be so serious that we can not or should not be able to laugh about it. Sometimes it takes awhile, and maybe even years before we find the humor in our grief.

I remember going to a funeral wake, many years ago. It was a coworker’s father, and the four of us carpooled the 30 miles to the wake at the funeral home that afternoon. It was an open casket, and in our carpool group was with a young man in his 20s, who never had seen a dead body. Our friend sat, without blinking, entranced at the lifeless body. He taps me on the shoulder and, not so quietly, whispers, “I think he moved”. Fortunately, we sat in the back of the parlor. I lost it and my contagious giggles passed to the rest of our small group. We had to leave before we got caught, and watched our improper friend have involuntary shudders of terror the rest of the day.

I’ve often witnessed an angry person, ranting about something. Inevitably, someone else in the room will laugh. I’m never sure whether to laugh with the inappropriate person or listen to the screamer. If you laugh, they may get more mad or hurt. If you listen to the anger, you still hear the uncomfortable giggling in the room. It’s hard for me not to smile at the giggler.

Cracking smiles sometimes can make the damage worse. I’ve taped up an old picture near the treadmill. It’s a picture of me from a very long time ago in a swimming suit in the Caribbean. It give me motivation, and have now begun to see some of my abs toning up a bit. When RT saw it, with a smirk on his face, he said I was hot. Was??!!? Was!? was . . . Oh, well. I could have taken it better without the sarcastic grin... : )

Recently, I gave a future young bride some advice. She should choose lime green hoop skirted dresses for her wedding party. They would make her look even MORE beautiful in her wedding gown. The bride didn’t smile at all. ha ha ha --- Next to me was The Baby with a frightful look on her face, as she is in the wedding party. Her face was priceless. I don’t think the future bride took me seriously. Surely she knows I was joking -- I think.

It’s a sickness that I laugh when people get scared. With three older brothers, I learned quickly about rubber spiders and snakes, and where to strategically place them for the best fright. I learned to hide under tables and grab ankles when I was very young. As I progressed, my pranks were more planned and devious. It was a learned behavior that I laughed at scared people, and I lovingly passed this trait to my children. Actually, I think they hate me for it, yet they are still trying to “get” me.

When someone trips or falls, as long as they are alright, the wisecracks and laughter follow. Watching someone walk into a wall, or doing something silly or stupid are funny, and when I laugh, I will not make excuses for it. Fond memories are filled with smiles, even if some have been unsuitable for the event. It breaks up the intense moments and makes them a little more bearable, and makes our silly human mistakes a little easier to tolerate.