A Sense of Humor During Tragedy is the Best Medicine

Do you know why you need a sense of humor when your life goes off the rails? Because life is hard, and a sense of humor during tragedy is the best medicine. At least it was for me when diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is not funny. I did not laugh when the Doctor called me at 10:30 pm to tell me my biopsy was malignant. It was a traumatic phone conversation. I felt like I was floating and watching myself talk on the phone. It was an out-of-body experience.

I credit my mother for having a great sense of humor. She taught me well. She was always referred to as the funny Aunt in the family. I feel blessed to have her wit and ability to look at situations with an amusing eye.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of the word humor is:

the ability to be amused by something seen, heard, or thought about, sometimes causing you to smile or laugh, or the quality in something that causes such amusement: He has a wonderful sense of humor. Fortunately, she saw the humor in the situation.

Keeping a Sense of Humor with Breast Cancer

While Breast Cancer itself is undoubtedly not humorous, some of the situations that confronted me while undergoing treatment and recuperating were.

Like the time I went to an awards banquet for my sister-in-law. She was getting inducted into the St. Francis Prep Ring of Honor for her basketball acumen during high school. The event was at a swanky reception hall, so I needed to get dressed up.

There were going to be men and women there that I had not seen in thirty years. Oh, the irony of wanting to look good at a high-school reunion, right? Not.

I was in the middle of treatment and could barely walk. I wore a black flowing skirt with a print blouse and a turban-like thing on my head to hide my baldness. (It also doubled as a flashing neon sign proclaiming, “I have cancer.”)

Shortly after arriving, I encountered a guy from my high-school class who gave me a big hug and told me how good it was to see me. He said he had been in the financial industry for 20+ years, was married, and had two kids. I looked him right in the eye and told him I had become a Fortune Teller and would be doing readings later in the evening.

We laughed and laughed! It was an “off the cuff” explanation for the elephant in the room. One look at me, and he knew I had cancer. Luckily, I could use my sense of humor to make the situation more comfortable for both of us.

Have you ever used humor to diffuse an uncomfortable situation?

Humor Works in Business Too

I used humor once to get a new job. We lived in Chicago at the time, and I had reached out to everyone I knew for leads on employment. My friend Susan told me she knew the President of Cellular One in Chicago and gave me his number. You might as well start at the top.

I was a nervous wreck calling him. Of course, I reached his assistant, who wanted to know why I was calling. I told her to tell him I was a friend of Susan’s and would like to speak with him. She took my number and said she would give him the message. He literally phoned me back in one minute.

He asked me, “What are you selling? Insurance?” I said, “I’m looking for a job, so I guess I am selling myself.” His reply was epic, “Cool, you got 30 seconds. Sell me.” I launched into why I would be an excellent asset to Cellular One, rattled off a few of my accomplishments, and finished with, “If you don’t believe me, I can give you my mother’s phone number, and she will confirm everything!”

He got a good laugh out of that and told me if I were half as talented as my sense of humor, he would find a place for me. I started at Cellular One within three weeks of my phone call. My sense of humor landed me a job!

Be Careful What You Wish For

My chemo treatments were given in my Doctor’s office. They had a separate room filled with recliner chairs for the cancer patients. One day, I felt particularly sorry for myself when we pulled into the parking lot of the medical building. I noticed a pregnant woman waddling her way up the stairs towards the elevator. I immediately thought, why do I have to be coming here for chemo? Why can’t I be here for a happy reason, like having a baby?

The second I thought that, I burst out laughing! For starters, I was 56 years old, and that ship had sailed. Furthermore, the last thing I wanted to do was go back to changing diapers and chasing a toddler around at my age.

It made me reflect on the cycles of life. Things happen. Babies are born, and people get breast cancer. We all seem to be dealing with something.

Sometimes we revel in celebration for the good things happening, and other times we wallow in sorrow and fight a disease or deal with any number of tragedies. That is life. None of us are immune.

The ability to keep a sense of humor no matter what occurs in your life is a blessing. Laughing at yourself is good for your soul and keeps things in perspective. Some of my fondest memories include times where I was laughing so hard I was crying.

Humor can be a secret weapon. I look for humor in everything since it always makes me feel better.

Do you think you have a good sense of humor? Have you ever used humor to diffuse an uncomfortable situation? Has any part of this post resonated with you? Please let me know in the comment section below.