HUMOR

Feb 8 from “Strengthening My Recovery” daily reader

We often lost our creativity, our flexibility, and our sense of humor.” BRB p. 333

“I always keep my sense of humor tucked in my hip pocket – available at all times,” the old man said. “Where do you keep yours?”
When we first walk into ACA meetings, the last thing in the world we think of is a sense of humor. There’s just too much pain. In many dysfunctional families, what passed as humor was really a form of sarcasm. For some of us who were the mascot or clown in our family of origin, utilizing humor was second nature. But it was the role we played for survival.
Rediscovering our true sense of humor sometimes begins in ACA meetings. Many times laughter erupts when certain things are said. That laughter isn’t meant to poke fun; it’s recognition of a shared experience that unites us. Fellow travelers understand what we’re talking about. Opening up to our sense of humor allows recovery to thrive. We discover that laughter can be a wonderful tool in our tool bag. We can watch funny movies or internet snippets to encourage our belly laughter. It feels wonderful to make healthy humor part of the healing process.
On this day I will keep my heart open to the things that make me laugh. Laughter brings me joy and makes everything better. Life is good!

My experience:
In my poem, “I will never be the same,” I opine, “when I walked into the room I saw people cheerful and laughing and I saw some that were crying.” I wasn’t sure I was in the right place or if these were the folks that were supposed to be like me, having grown up in a dysfunctional household. How could these folks laugh in the face of what I felt was a topic we were going to speak of that has for years been so debilitating. What could possibly be humorful? Why were these folks so damn cheery? Apparently I thought I needed a place that was somber and would keep me stuck in the quagmire of my current reality. I thought wrong. I quickly realized that this space was a safe space to express all emotions that have been hidden for a lifetime, whether it be tears, anger, laughter, etc. I too began to appreciate and find the humor in the shares and the chairs and the fellowship after and before the meeting. I watch as I look at newcomers and wonder if they have similar thoughts that I did when I walked in the place and then I watch as their shoulders loosen at some point during the meeting as this wave of understanding comes over them. What a blessing to have this space to open up in.