Signs of laughter

CAN you remember the first time you laughed after receiving your diagnosis of cancer? I recall thinking that I might never laugh again, so deep was the pain and shock of hearing those three little words: "You have cancer."

My first response was to cry, for three days, without stopping. It was the day after Christmas, and my husband and I sat down with our two little boys to give them the news.

"Your mother has a disease called cancer," began my husband, John. "She'll be going into the hospital this week for some surgery. She will be having some treatments that may cause her to become sick and lose her hair."

"Cool!" exclaimed Tim, 10-years-old at the time. "Now you'll look like Captain Picard on Star Trek." I couldn't help but laugh. And I realised that was the first time I had laughed in eight days. You will laugh again. Sometimes the impossible just takes a little longer.

Have there ever been things in your life that you have always wanted to do, but for a variety of reasons, you just never get around to doing? Then something like a diagnosis of cancer comes into your life, and you decide: "I had better start doing those things."

One of the things I had always wanted to do was take a hot-air balloon ride. So I loaded my entire family into the car, and off we drove at 5:30 a.m. for our "adventure". We went up in the hot- air balloon, and it was a fabulous experience. I recommend it highly. When we landed, we were each given a "certificate of achievement," along with a glass of champagne. But what really tickled me, made, which was on the bottom of the certificate, was something called "The Balloonist's Prayer." I'd like to share it with you.

"The winds have welcomed you with softness. The sun has blessed you with his warm hands. You have flown so well and so high, that God has joined you in your laughter, and set you gently back again into the loving arms of Mother Earth."

Take the time, make the time to do those things you have always wanted to do. After all, you deserve it.

Every spring we search the air and our surroundings for new signs of life. This season, search for signs of laughter. It's everywhere. Happy Spring!

"Learning to laugh at trouble radically increases the amount of things there are to laugh at." I. Toldja

CHRISTINE K. CLIFFORD

The author is the Founder/ CEO/ President of The Cancer Club. Web address: www.cancerclub.com

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