Motivated to write on "thriving"

Blogging is new for me. As with most of my life pursuits I started out blogging with zest. When I didn't see any comments posted in the blog I was disappointed. It seemed I was writing to myself. Typically I gave up.

My pain from the recent death of my husband was part of my passion for writing. I wanted to live my life in spite of this grief. I was hoping to hear from others. I whined to a friend and she told me she had posted back. She had missed not having any more posts from me. Looks like blogging for me is much like many of my poor relationship communications: a one way conversation with me doing the talking. I will investigate how I am missing the posts from others. But I am back on this blog with new energy.

Last week a dear friend was going through a major tragedy and could not sleep. She hit my blog for the first time. This blog gave her hope when she could find none. Knowing one person got through a black night with this blog is enough fire under me to keep my fingers flying across the keyboard faithfully.

Thriving as a Christian is taking a new twist for me. I love a laugh as much as anyone, but recently I am finding I NEED a laugh. I am deliberately making sure I watch or read things that will encourage some joy and laughter. In prayer I am sensing that the new speaking and writing assignments I have coming up should include good humor. Sometimes I am funny, but I have never planned on it. Funny things just come up. This is most challenging for me and I don't have easy solutions. I have found a few resources in books, etc., but none of them have me confident in my abilities.

My life is framed in prayer, so I know where to go when stumped....

"Father God,

That month on the cancer floor caring for John with his lung cancer and walking out this grief has drained my joy tank. How do I refuel? I have searched the internet, library, etc. about this humor mission for myself and to encourage laughter and joy in others. What do I do? Most of the secular humor is rated X, and if I listen or read much of some of the comics I could subconsciously pick up some raw vocabulary. "

Thoughts came to me about the funny things I notice in day to day living.

"Oh, I get it .... I'll just watch folks doing silly things and I can journal my observations and share this with others."

Somehow I knew I was close, but there was something better. Then it was like a video played in my mind of the dumb, silly absurd things I have done and the way friends and family would laugh for hours at my "stuff."

"Lord, I can journal my goofs and missteps and have all the material I will ever need. I am the most absurd person I know. Oh, well this should handle keeping me humble as well as having plenty of good writing ideas."

Amen.

So you want to know when does the joy ride begin? Give me a break. I just got the revelation. I am accustomed to pushing my dumbness to the back of my mind. Now, I am learning to notice it, record it and discover how to share it so we can laugh together. Want to help me out? Write back with some of your funny moments. I will gladly post all of your oops that could bring giggles on this blog.

Guess we all will thrive if we don't take ourselves so seriously. I recall an old psychiatrist telling me a key way to judge sanity and maturity is when a patient can laugh at themselves. Keep it light and fly with the angels!!!