Your sense of humor is the lubricant to keep your morale up and running, no matter what. But this is so only if you choose to use it.

Here is an example.

I visited a patient in the hospital where I was chaplain. Recovery from his surgery was going slower than expected. The pain, confinement, and his worry about the possibility of more surgery left him discouraged. Many friends sent him get-well greetings. and while he appreciated being remembered, he had a hard time with the so-called humorous cards

The sentiments were simply out of synch with the way he felt. He got the message that his friends were insensitive to his situation. I listened as he talked about this Then I asked, "Who is your favorite humorist ?" (I'll explain the reasons for this later) He looked at me, puzzled but he thought for a moment. Then naming Alan Alda's character role in the TV sitcom M.A.S.H, said, "Hawkeye Pierce, Why?"

"If Hawkeye were in this same situation as you, what do you think he would say or do?"

He became quiet. His brow furrowed as he looked up at the ceiling in silence. Slowly he gave words to his thoughts. "Well, he'd wonder about these people, how insensitive they were. Then he'd probably get a little angry."

Indeed anger crept into his voice as he continued, "What's with them," as he began to get into Hawkeye's character. "This is no picnic you know. They must think I'm taking a cushy vacation..."

He stopped. His pursed lips slipped into a sly smile, his mind working. Then looking directly at me he said, "If this was happening to Hawkeye, he would send these people cards that read, 'Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here!'" His mood change was pronounced, apparent and immediate. He laughed, "Hey! That's what I'm going to do."

And indeed he did. His wife bought him several wish-you-were-here greeting cards, and he sent them to selected friends...along with his own comments.

Now take a close look at this. Nothing about his situation had changed