Laughter

It's getting easier to laugh now. For a very long time, laughter was elusive. I've always enjoyed a really good belly-jiggling laugh, but haven't had one of those in - well, I can't remember the last time I laughed like that. But it's coming back. It startles me sometimes to be sitting in my chair watching TV and suddenly hear myself laughing.

Laughter is one of the most contagiously delicious sounds in the world to me. I have a great respect for people who can make other people laugh. People like Danny Kaye, Bob Hope and Betty White awe me. One show that used to make me laugh was "Whose Line is It Anyway", with Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles. It wasn't my husband's favourite show, he rarely got the humour, but I did, and they did what very few have ever been able to do, make me laugh until I cried. They awe me in their ability to bring such joyful moments into other people's lives...I want to do that too!!!

But over the past few years, even a simple chuckle has been hard to come by. I still appreciate humour and a good joke, but the appreciation doesn't quite unfold into much more than a reluctant titter. Someone once suggested humour therapy, but I never did manage to find a session that was open for me to join. They were only for cancer survivors, and although I technically am one, apparently I slipped through the cracks for admission into one of these support groups.

But I keep myself open to further healing of that seemingly wounded funny bone. It's comforting and a relief to feel laughter spontaneously bubbling up without effort now. There's a commercial on television with lots of babies laughing - it's very contagious and both hubby and I usually end up chuckling along. It's a joy to hear anyone laughing, but I have to admit that it's an exultant joy to hear genuine laughter coming out of my own mouth and realize that I've finally found my way through to this side of the mountain.

We've come a long way, baby...