Survival

The human psyche is pretty rugged. It is sometimes amazing what we are capable of enduring. That which does not kill you, the indomitable spirit and all that stuff.

I have had some rough times and my sense of humor has always seen me through. Even in my darkest hours I can hear the knocking at a distant door. And I can find some really bizarre things funny.

My sense of humor as been well nurtured over a great many years. It has been watered and cultivated by a great number of life experiences as well as a number of individuals. It is often dry and dark and full of twists. Like a run away car on a country road at 2AM. You never know what might pop up.

Today I am with my Mom at the hospital. She is rapidlly dying from cancer despite treatment. They are trying to wean her off the IV Morphine...it is not going well and she was in a lot of pain. She gets frustrated that she can't move and get comfortable...her legs are now paralyzed, then she gets upset. This is a nasty cycle as the more she gets upset the more pain she's in. So I thought I'd try something. Nurses call it visualization, you can do that when you have a degree...most people would call it going to their happy place.

So I lean down and hug her and start whispering in her ear. I start describing a beach, one of her favorite places, in great detail. The white sand, the ocean lapping at her feet, the smell of sea salt...I'm trying to remember each of the senses to include them in the picture. When I think of sound, I mention the cry of the seagulls. A distinct sound reminiscent of the beach. But then my mind wanders to another distinct thing about seagulls...and I whisper in her ear, "But these are special seagulls, they won't poop on you." Even with the pain, my Mom started laughing.

Humor hasn't failed me yet.