Since this is Thanksgiving week, it is only fitting that my article be about being thankful. So I have been contemplating; trying to come up with one thing that I am most thankful for. I would have to say it would be laughter. Not just the joy we find in our heart but the actual sound of laughter. To hear the unbridled joy overflow into laughter just makes my heart smile, especially when it comes from little ones. Unfortunately, this time of year for some families the laughter is few and far between. People are losing family members to cancer, cancer patients are struggling with treatments and fear of the unknown, caregivers are struggling with the loss of a loved one and watching their loved ones fight for their lives. I was making some calls to cancer patients to let them know we at Angel Wings Network were thinking about them and wanted to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving when a lady who was recovering from her chemo treatment this past week told me that one of the keys to surviving treatments is to have a sense of humor. It made me think about my treatments. During my first chemo I was informed that two weeks to the day my hair would fall out. Low and behold, two weeks to the day, I woke up and sure enough my hair was falling out. It was so strange because there was no pain associated with it. I could grab handfuls and tug and it would fall off my head. My children were fascinated with the concept but after stringing hair clear through the house and in the food, we decided to shave my head. While my husband was cutting away, my two-year-old son came bouncing in, took one look and said “me next”. The pure innocence of it made us laugh and it felt good even though I was devastated. Just to be safe, we hid the scissors from him for a while afterwards. So, as we come into the holidays and gather together for Thanksgiving meals, remember to laugh. Reach out to those struggling and help them to find joy, to find reasons to laugh and make those around you laugh. It truly is one of the best sounds ever. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Cari Hug
