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  Sometimes, No Matter What, Ya Just Gotta Laugh

  Nov 24, 2019

  [from Facebook Post Nov. 3 2019]

   

  TOPIC de JOUR: Having a laugh with one's disability.

  So... as you might guess by the title above, I'm gonna talk a wee bit about the absolute power of HUMOUR, the power of Not-Taking-Things-Too-Seriously even when one needs to be serious about something. Why, sometimes, laughter IS the BEST medicine.

  Last night I got to hang out with some folks who, in many different and varied and creative ways, have had to deal with the total hell of either living with a disability, or needing to support a loved one WITH a disability.

  In this case, the disability is FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). Though I suspect what I'm talking about is pretty universal in handling many of life's woes and challenges.

  Last night, I was welcomed into a tribe of VSBLP's (Very Strange But Loving People). Three of us adults swim daily along the river of FASD. The rest were parents with children learning to navigate these same, at times, turbulent waters.

  Was there a person in the room who had not "suffered" deep and seemingly-at-times horrific challenges due to this particular disability? No. There was not. Did we all, to differing degrees, know about each other's challenges and some of the deep pain we've felt in our own varied ways? We did.

  We even had a "life event" occur last night that would have, I suspect for many people (neuro-typical or typical-challenged) f•cked up the whole evening.

  Said event was handled quickly with love (and, truthfully, a few laughs at how crazy the Advocacy Path can get at times).

  But. We. Didn't. Let. It. Rob. Us. Of. Our. Joyous Spirits.

  We all wobbled but held together... and like unexpected bad weather, the storm passed.
  Was it a giant group-hug at a PityParty?

  Far far from it.

  We laughed at the Devil last night. And then invited him in and gave him a chance to learn to laugh at himself.

  For me, here's the IMPORTANT question of the moment: Did I laugh more soulfully than I have in months?
  You betcha.😂👍🏼

  Was I / am I hurting? You betcha. 😌

  On a lot of levels, truth be told.

  I'm currently working through "some s***" 😏 🤷🏻‍♂️

  So, was my laughter bull-shit? Was I "faking it until I was making" it? Or even worse, perhaps you're pondering, I was a bit tipsy from a drink or two?

  No - to all the above (though the Root Beer was a BIT sugary - and delicious 😁) No one had had a drink all evening.

  But... we chose to laugh.

  We chose to be real with each other. We chose (my personal observation here) that we would, THROUGH our very different yet so similar life's-lessons-scars, connect in mind and spirit. Not to avoid or deny our various challenges. Not to commiserate.

  But to CELEBRATE how awesome the human spirit is when we choose it over the sometimes dark tunnels of our minds.

  Thanks to Team Love.😇 (you know who you is 😉)

  You, and so many others on my FASD Trip, are learning me many good things about all of us. Sending y'all one heckova Namaste!  🙏🏼❤️

   

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