Yes. That’s right. There are those right now working in technology laboratories around the globe hoping to find a “cure” for death. However, we’ve got the ultimate cure already at our disposal–a sense of humor!
Sound a bit ridiculous? You’re probably right. But don’t let a little silliness confuse you. A sense of humor may just be the only sure fire way to ease the pain of the loss of a loved one.
Let’s start off by saying a few caveats:
– No, we do not mean that Michael Jackson’s body will start doing he moon walk if enough of us laugh at him.
– And two, there are many times when laughter is the absolute worse thing you can do at a funeral, when you’re dealing with a loss, or when consoling a friend over their own. People need time to grieve and feel the spectrum of human emotions that arise during these tragic events.
However there are times when laughter can help us heal the wounds left by the death of a loved one.
1. After a loved one’s passing, we can have a tendency (especially us males), to try to surpress our emotions or to attempt to maintain the status quo for the sake of putting up a good front. In essence, we can often deny the loss for various reasons, including the fear of having to face it. Having a sense of humor about ourselves can be enable us to break down the walls we erect, allowing us to see that it is okay to feel emotions and grieve. So while we sometimes use humor to neglect feeling pain, having a sense of humor about our persona may help us come to better relationship with our emotions–not having to be so serious about putting up a good front.
2. Also, one of the greatest gifts we can give to those that pass is the gift of rememberence. Many of us want our lives to mean something to the world. The best way I know how to do that is remembering the humorous stories and silly manerisms of our deceased. This way, we allow them to fill our lives with joy from the beyond.
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