Healing Power of Laughter

Tonight a couple of my coworkers and I went out to enjoy some Indian food. A local buffet is moving to another location, so we went to enjoy it one more time.

The conversation ended up on one of those female topics that could lead to potential embarassment. Yes we talked about the time of month! My coworker shared some of her experiences, we laughed. When I shared some experiences, one of my coworkers laughed- in a good way, a healing way! She apologized for laughing
yet in the process, I realized the humor in some situations from years ago!

I ended up laughing over an elementary school experience that until now had been rather distressing and hidden hidden in the deepest recesses of my mind...I had never really laughed about them. I credit my coworker for laughing at these experiences, it really helped me to see how funny they were when it was all over.

We were talking about the time of month and how sometimes girls do not receive much information on relevant issues. I shared how when my time came my mom wasn't home. I saw drops on the sheet and somehow my dad did. I tried improvising, making do with tp. When my dad inquired,  I said I'd scratched myself or something. To his credit, he told mom who got appropriate supplies and explained how to use it. She also brought me a piece of bubblegum shaped like a hamburger..thought sweet at the time. But tonight my coworkers and I had a great laugh over the whole experience, something I'd never before shared with people!

Then I shared about my distressing 6th grade patrol trip to Washington DC. At the time, we lived in WVa.

Here  are some of the things that occurred:

~ our first stop was the National Cathedral. Within a very short time of arriving at the National Cathedral, I accidentally dropped my camera on the floor, it broke! Thus for that entire trip, I have no pictures! We didn't have facebook back them! And I guess I didn't think to have anyone share pictures with me. So I just have some memories of some crazy things..
~ so the dreadful time of month decided to join me on this trip too! But I didn't have any supplies. Sadly the hotel roommates I had shared that embarassing fact with the whole 6th grade..
~ I didn't have supplies on the trip for the visitor! So that evening, some of the group were going to the Mall! I asked if they could buy the supplies for me. Dumb me thought they meant the SHOPPING MALL, not the NATIONAL MALL! Either way, somehow they thankfully got the supplies for me.
~ In the drawer of our hotel nightstand, we found a man's underwear in the drawer. Gross!!
~ One more thing related to the visitor. I had heard that when one exercises a lot, the time of month can be deferred. So while we were at one of the museums, I remember walking around and around in an attempt to have the visitor leave! Duh!! I didn't know at the time that this condition can occur to serious athlethes, it wasn't what would happen in my situation!
~ a final thing, my seatmate on the return bus trip needed to use the restroom. But for whatever reason, she was shy to go back to the bus commode- she ended up having an accident. And I had to lend her my jacket as a "cover up" until she could get new clothing from her suitcase.

For all these reasons, I remember the anxiety/stress at the time. It had been my first trip away from my parents. Indeed when our bus arrived back in WVa from DC, and when I saw my parents waiting for me, I remember crying due to everything that had happend! But tonight we laughed!

It was so much fun for the 42 year old me and my coworkers to laugh at what I did as a dumb 6th grader back in 1980! We each hoped so much that current young girls have better information and avoid all sorts of agony in that area. I still hate that time so much. I truly hope today's kids receive good practical information, feel comfortable about this and don't have to go through some of those painful moments.

And if frustrations occur, I hope they can laugh sooner!