laughter in grief

I only knew him for a short time. He was the first person to reach out to me at my first "grown up" job. He lived his life quietly (and sometimes not quietly) loving and serving the Lord. But the cancer took him. He couldn't fight it any longer. He's with the Lord though today. Free of pain and sickness.

The office is a solemn place this week, hearing the news of our co-worker and friend passing away. Everyone taking time out of the day to talk and help each other through. It's hard to concentrate on the work. But every so often something happens that causes us to laugh. And laugh we do because it makes the grief more bearable.

Having been to the allergist recently, I was prescribed a Neti-Pot. It kind of looks like a tea kettle and you use it to clean your nasal cavity. Without getting to graphic with you, you tilt your head down and to the side and use the "pot" to send a saline solution through one nostril and out of the other.

It works wonders and I have been able to breathe so much better recently. Until today.

This morning I got the pot ready, mixed my solution up, and started the process. Well, the water was going in but not coming out. I tilt my head a little further and it started to come out. I continued on and finished up but didn't feel quite right.

Fast forward. After lunch, I started feeling a little dizzy and lightheaded. Like I wasn't sure where I was or what I was suppose to be doing. But I got up to send a fax. Waiting for the machine to clear up, I slightly looked down and a stream of water shot out of my nose! I grabbed my nose and ran to my office. Several people saw me and followed me. I grabbed a few tissues and it kept coming!

Well, fellow office buddy, Denise, uses a Neti-Pot as well. I went to her office to ask her if that had ever happened to her. Well, the laughter started. And with that, more water came flying out of my nose! I grabbed for more tissues and we laughed harder and harder. The more I laughed, the more water came out and made us laugh even harder.

It was a needed break from the seriousness of the day. Because even in grief you can find laughter.