A woman had a below-knee amputation as a result of having diabetes and smoking all of her life. When she was regaining consciousness in the Recovery Unit, her doctor-son smiled at her and said ‘Well mum, how does it feel to have one leg in the grave?’ She laughed out loud. Till the day she died, she told that story to her friends and each time, she laughed again.
The son, Dr. Patch Adams is an inspirational icon who has changed the despair of his patients with his cheerful clowning! Convinced of the powerful connection between environment and health, he employed many creative ways in using humour to bring hope and healing to his patients... including dressing up like a clown and decorating the patient’s bed with colourfull balloons. Along with friends, Patch founded a model "happy" hospital – the Gesundheit Institute – where the pain of patients is treated with a patch of humour.
Humour helps because smiling and laughing triggers the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins strengthen the immune system (responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery), reduce pain, and relax the body. Humour also works because it distracts people from their worries and pain and it restores perspective. Humour doesn’t alter the situation, but it helps you to cope with the pain.
Surely, we can learn from the example of Dr. Patch Adams. Surely we can “be better” at facing every despair with a genuine display of care and humour. Surely we can spread cheer and hope by lifting the spirits of those who seem to have succumbed to the situation. And of course, we must start with our own selves by seeing the positives in every problem that seizes us!
To BE BETTER at taking every hindrance head-on
We must choose to sing the positive humour song…
- Pravin
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