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Monthly Archives: October 2018

Laughter is the Best Medicine

“When you awaken love and laughter in your life, your mind lets go of fear and anxiety, and your happy spirit becomes the healing balm that transforms every aspect of your human experience.”   Jesse Dylan

I had a good day with my neighbor, Marsha. We had time to connect.  She said it was like having a girl’s day shopping, having this time together.  However, we weren’t shopping; we spent the day at the outpatient oncology department while she received her chemo treatment.   For me it is important to support those who have cancer in order to pay forward all those that supported my family when my son died from cancer.  I’m writing this post in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I am still in awe of Marsha and her positive attitude.  She made a day most of us would dread into a joyful experience.   Even though she slept very little the night before and even though it was a dreary rainy day, Marsha brought the sunshine into every room she entered.  She treated the nurses as the special people they are.  I observe four techniques she used to take the dread of chemo and changed it to a positive even joyful experience.

Gratitude – Marsha looks at her year of cancer treatments with a grateful heart.  She knows her treatment will make her stronger and gives her a 97% chance of never getting cancer again.  That’s a lot better odds than the man in the waiting room whose prognosis was only living another year.   She knows she is blessed, as it could be so much worse.

Attitude – It’s not that you never cry, the trick is not to get stuck there. Marsha admits she has had pity parties but she has changed her attitude.  She wants to live each day as the gift it is. You have little control what happens to you but you can change your attitude about it.  I asked Marsha, how she stayed so positive.  She said if she didn’t, she would cry.  It’s a strategy and a decision.

Asking for help – She knows that getting help from others helps her on this journey.  It was sad to see the 80ish lady in the waiting room all by herself.  For the people Marsha has helped, she is open now to reap what she has sowed.

Joy – she finds her joy from the inside.  She is determined to share the joy of the Lord to all she meets.  I saw her brighten the day of every nurse she met.

The next time I’m feeling sorry for myself and feel life is not fair, I will remember this day with a grateful heart.  If Marsha and I can smile and laugh in the oncology department, then there is really no excuse not to shine every day.  Thanks, Marsha for being such an inspiration to all of us.

To Learn more about the benefits of laughter. Click here.

Staying in Touch: Barbara Hirsh can be reached at info@LiveKinder.com  I love hearing your kindness stories.  Please sign-up for almost weekly kindness message at www.LiveKinder.com or follow LiveKinder on Facebook! 

Bonniebrook Inspiration

“Be good to people, you will be remembered more for your kindness than any level of success you can obtain.”  Mandy Hale

Sometimes you have to look back to see how far we have come.  This was evident on my recent tour of Bonniebrook, Rose O’Neill’s Taney County home. Rose O’Neill (1874-1944) is best known for her magazine illustrations, especially her Kewpie dolls.  Kewpie characters made their debut in 1909 in the Ladies’ Home Journal, 109 years ago.

Rose O’Neill became one of the highest paid magazine illustrators of her time, quite an accomplishment because women were thought to be inferior artist to men.  Initially, Rose did not include her first name in her signature as not to identify her as a woman.  Her work stood on its own and Rose became a sought after magazine illustrator and usually the only woman on the magazine’s staff. It’s difficult to imagine now but many of the New York office buildings only had restrooms for males.  During that era women could be jailed for voting and weren’t allowed to run for office.  Society norms had women in tight corsets, so tight that women would faint.  Sandals and painted toenails were taboo.  Rose used her considerable fame and influence to campaign for women’s right to vote by giving speeches and creating illustrations for the suffragist cause.

Rose’s personal philosophy documented in her autobiography was “Do good deeds in a funny way. The world needs to laugh or at least smile more than it does.”  Good advice then and pertinent today. This was the basis of her Kewpie cartoons.  The Kewpies were there to help and teach children and adults better ways to live.  Common themes in Rose’s work included supporting racial equality and advocating for the poor; no surprise since Rose grew-up poverty stricken.

Rose led a kind life.   She supported her family for years. She helped many artists and writers and opened her home to them sometimes for years.  She paid for everyone in the community to be immunized against smallpox.  She generously gave money to her readers when they wrote to her asking for money.  Her generosity left her destitute in her final years but did not crush her loving spirit.

If you have ever thought that one person can’t make a difference take a tour of Bonniebrook with Susan Scott.   Rose’s O’Neill’s life will come to life and hopefully Bonniebrook will inspire you as much as it inspired Rose O’Neill.   We all can do something to further human rights and we all can be more generous and kind. What can you do to be ahead of our time?  Thank you to all the volunteers at Bonniebrook that keep Rose’s O’Neill’s life and memories of her kind spirit alive.   To find out more, visit the Bonniebrook Facebook page:  Click here  or webpage: Click here.

Staying in Touch: Barbara Hirsh can be reached at info@LiveKinder.com  I love hearing your kindness stories.  Please sign-up for almost weekly kindness message at www.LiveKinder.com or follow LiveKinder on Facebook!