I remember once, talking with a family counsellor. We were discussing some crisis our family was experiencing – just one of many. I had put a humorous spin on something I was sharing.
He gave me a puzzled look and said, “Do you realize how often you look for the humour in things? You’ve told me so many stories of what your family experiences are like, living with a child with a disability.”
I sat there stunned at the revelation.
He continued, “In my opinion, based on my experience, the amount of stress you are handling on a daily basis should make you a basket case. But you’re very emotionally healthy.”
My reply was short and sweet, “But how else can anyone do this? If I don’t look for the humour and what I can learn from my experience, I would go insane.” In truth my heart just might break. At this point in my life, I did not know what was wrong with my son. He was four years old, not talking. He never walked till he was almost two. I knew, deep down, there was something off-kilter about how he was growing up.
I just instinctively knew, if I looked for the humour, in what had happened, I could manage it all. IF I wasn’t going to cry then dag-nabbit I was going to look for a reason to laugh. I wanted to take, whatever had happened, and make it light. I wanted to lift the weigh off of whatever I had just experienced. It seemed I was going to be in the long haul with this child and I needed a strategy to keep moving forward.
What positive way did you find to help you cope with the day to day experiences you had?
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