For as long as I can remember, my parents always had a subscription to Reader’s Digest. I was never a big fan of the articles, but I can tell you this, I always went right for the funny stuff. You remember…Laughter is the Best Medicine, Humor in Uniform, All in a Day’s Work, etc. I often wondered why they didn’t just publish a similar magazine, leave out the articles and focus on the humor.

Since becoming ill with Lupus, I’ve found a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine.’ Certainly not finding anything funny about the illness itself, I’ll be the first to admit Lupus did initially take away my joviality and sense of humor. I had always considered those as some of my friendlier qualities. It always came easy to me, as it did to my father before me, and I’m sure my sarcastic sense of humor and witty barbs come from his side of the family. Thank you, Dad.
But being sick has a way of zapping part of yourself, that was once held so dear. Not knowing the outlook, for either sooner or later, can make one turn inward for a more solemn and tranquil look at ourselves. It’s a dangerous path to start on and once you begin that journey, it’s difficult to look back. That’s why it’s important to remember that your illness does not have to define who you were vs. who you are now.
Being part of an online support group has been a life saver for me. Butterscotch that is. See…that was a joke. Okay, a very bad joke but nonetheless, a joke. Seriously though, it really has been what I needed to keep me grounded. Yes, my illness tends to keep me more home-bound than I’d like, but it doesn’t have to keep me out of touch with the world. Thank heavens for Al Gore creating the Internet. Get it? Another joke. Okay, I’ll stop for now.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about being a part of an online support group is that there are others out there just like me. Humor is their medicine. Well, not all their medicine, but a pretty big part. A humorist can always tell another humorist by the first or second post. While others may not be drawn to that type of person, I truly am. Like picking up an Erma Bombeck book, all I have to do is reach out to those like-minded, funny and sarcastic people, and have the best of conversations, always ending in an uproarious laugh. Just what the doctor ordered. It doesn’t come by prescription or even subscription, but it certainly does come by recommendation. Want to take the first step to get out of a slump, funk or melancholy period? Find the funniest person on the board and start up a conversation. Humorists always know when good humor is needed. By the way, have you heard the one about the farmer’s daughter……..?
Essay Submitted by: Rose Michels, © butyoudontlooksick.com