Laughter is the Best Medicine
Katurah A. Bryant, LMFT
Laughter can be the best medicine. Science has shown that laughter is quite therapeutic. A hardy laugh uses similar muscles as an all over body work out. A side splitting laugh releases those feel good endorphins in the brain. A good laugh can bring tears to your eyes, clearing out those tear ducts. The humor that comics bring is hilarious because we can relate to what they are saying in our everyday lives. I often use humor in therapy sessions. It is so important that we can look at ourselves and find humor in the life lesson. We can not take ourselves so seriously all the time. When we reflect on choices we have made that did not have a positive outcome, it’s okay to have a “V-8” moment, slap ourselves on the forehead and say, “What the heck was I thinking”!
I have been blessed to have a “Sister Circle” consisting of friends from multiple generations. They are my “chosen family”. We have been through births, deaths, marriages, divorces, graduations and grandchildren. We are women who are at times frankly honest with each other, but always in a very loving and caring way. When we get together the topic of relationships always comes up in the midst of the pot-luck of feel good foods and great wines. KW has the Circle honor of recounting a relationship situation that brought the house down! There was not a dry eye in the room, as we hollered, and laughed until we had to tell her to, “Please SHUT-UP”! We were in so much pain from laughing! Once the laughter subsided, the serious talk began. In the end we were all more insightful. We ended the gathering as we always did, in a circle of prayer, expressing our gratitude for being blessed to have crossed paths as well as for the wisdom gained from our shared experience.
It is so important that you surround yourself with a support circle. I have heard women say that they do not “trust” other women, and would find it difficult to engage in a sharing circle. More often than not it is really about trusting “self”. Previous generations called it “kitchen table therapy”. This was a time when multiple generations of women would assemble in the kitchen, generally around the preparation of a meal. The women would pass on cooking skills, but most importantly, impart wisdom. In this day and age of transient families, one must create this situation. Remember, like attracts like. If you are striving to become a more honest human being, you will attract honest women. If you are doing your self work to become a more insightful and authentic person, you will surround yourself with the same. Your spirit will not tolerate anything less. As you grow, so will you “Sister Circle”. Trust me, it is a beautiful thing. PS. KW has since “crossed over” at the tender age of 49, as a result of ovarian cancer. She stressed with us the importance of annual female exams. Women of color have a high prevalence of fibroids. Some symptoms of fibroids are similar to symptoms of ovarian cancer. One simple non-intrusive preventative screen that can be done by your Gynecologist is an ultrasound of your ovaries especially if you are being assessed for fibroids. It is a simple screen that could save your life.
