The Best Medicine
June 30, 2021
June was quite the full month for me, medically speaking. I had my every-three-year colonoscopy/endoscopy, a dental cleaning, and an eye appointment that led to an MRI of my brain, which has now led to a July ultrasound of my neck and an appointment with a neurologist. My sister used to tell me that after a certain age every year brought another body part going to pot, and evidently I’ve arrived at that age. Good merciful heavens! I’m not thrilled with all these tests, but I do admire the doctors and nurses that do all this icky stuff to keep us all chugging along.
Personally, I prefer to partake of and dispense the “best medicine”—laughter. Children, friends, relatives, pets and even my scientific husband make me laugh. Watching comedies and reading the comics keep me chortling. And sometimes, weird thoughts that fly across my brain, send me into spasms of hysterical, gasping laughter. It is these episodes that embarrass my daughters and cause them to advise me to seek counseling. Humf! Laughing is a much more enjoyable stress reliever than weeping, and it’s a lot cheaper than therapy. So there! My personal favorite laughing event is the old “weird dream happenings.” This is a rare occurrence, but there’s nothing better than waking up in the middle of the night laughing like a hyena about something I dreamed. The hubster doesn’t enjoy being awakened by the sound of his wife snorting and giggling, but I don’t particularly enjoy his snoring snorts, so I figure it all evens out in the marital zone.
This month I also enjoyed laughing with friends who returned to Corbin to attend a wedding. I was the nanny to their triplets for five years, and I remember laughing everyday with those three kids, from five days to five years old. One of the boys came back with his parents. He is now nineteen years old, six feet tall, and muscular, but he still has that same cute face and the same sense of humor and curiosity he had as a toddler. His sister and brother are in college in New Zealand, so we Facetimed them. They still look the same to me, too, only all grown up and fabulous. It was a great week and a wonderful wedding of the daughter of mutual close friends.
Aging may be a bit annoying and even scary at times, but I’d rather get old and witness all the wonders of watching children grow up, marriages thrive, friendships deepen, and memories sweeten, than get all grumpy and morose about it. Age brings blessings that many people never get to experience. So go out and enjoy each day, even if you have to have your body explode poop and your brain invaded by MRItians once in a while.