May 1st is my wedding anniversary. Not just mine but “ours.” Darrell (the husband part of the marriage) and I have worked together with a lot of determination to stay together. It was a second marriage/blended family for both of us. It certainly was not a “Brady Bunch” picnic. It could have been a sitcom called “Dysfunction Junction.”
Humor held our hands when things seemingly fell apart. When prayers didn’t seem answered, God whispered a gentle “Ha-Ha-He-He” into our married ears. God’s breath tickles anyone’s heart. Darrell and I could appreciate each other’s wide range of humor styles. Silly or sarcastic, dark or dirty, Darrell and I could use any style to reframe our troubles. Humor couldn’t cure anything, but it gave us a single moment of a “ha-ha” and turned it into an “a-ha.”
As a couple, we learned compassion for ourselves and others as we slipped on the banana peels that life put in our path. Individually, our sense of humor directed how to share difficult conversations between us. An argument’s healing occurred the moment the first punch line was thrown. I have an abundance of gratitude for all the mirthful moments I have shared with my partner of 15 years.
May 3rd is World Laughter Day (www.worldlaughtertour.com) an international day of remembering to take a moment and “laugh.” I encourage everyone to take a moment and count all the moments of laughter, humor and mirth. I bet if you connected those dots…it would be one huge heart.
Blessings of gratitude, laughter, humor, mirth and joy,
Debra J. Hart RN BFA CLL
Age Wise Care Management
debrajoyhart@gmail.com