When In Doubt...Laugh

I have an awesome sense of humor. I've always felt that's the one thing that has gotten me through my trials and tribulations up to now. That, and I'm extremely stubborn and determined when I want and need to be.

Usually, when life hands me lemons, instead of making lemonade, I juggle the yellow fruit and laugh. Not a chuckle, but a heart-felt, tear-inducing, side-splitting laugh. Okay, so that doesn't solve the problem, but it does make it easier to deal with the lemon-thrower, and eventually, the lemons themselves.

I've had some lemons thrown lately...which led me to this post, obviously.

I should clarify that the lemons (and I promise I'll stop using the "lemon" metaphor) were not thrown all at once, but slowly I've begun to realize that I have a few issues that I need to address.

Another thing about me...I love the River of Denial. I'll swan-dive headfirst into the center and backstroke around in circles until I'm exhausted, with the reasons that I'm emersing myself in the cool blackness waving at me from the grassy banks, teeth barred.

I have this talent of convincing myself that situations or issues that I don't want to deal with do not somehow apply to me. In my mind, if I don't think about them or even acknowledge them, they'll just simply go away like a whisper on the wind.

Those of us here in the Real World know this does not happen. Heh. All that causes is a nervous breakdown, or an avalanche of lemons (sorry, couldn't resist that one more time).

I thought I had a grip on the whole denial thing, but I realized lately, that I don't. The rug that I sweep everything under is looking like it's expecting babies anytime. So, I've started pulling one issue at a time out from under the rug and outright dealing with it. Something I'm very new at.

My whole point now is to control my life and not let it control me.

I'm off track and I've tried to remember in the past how I've dealt with getting back on track...then it hit me....with waves and rolls of laughter. I laughed 'till I cried. I slapped my thigh wiping tears and holding my stomach. I bellowed and tittered so loud my daughters thought I was having a breakdown of sorts!

However, the next morning when I got out of bed and wondered why my stomach muscles hurt, I smiled that knowing smile and laughed again...