Want to bring hope and joy? Try laughing together.

Pandemic or no pandemic Christmas has come and gone in a flash. I wasn’t out of the house much the days leading up to Santa’s arrival, but the masked faces I saw had furrowed brows. It appeared some were forgetting to take a deep breath behind their masks.

For most of us this Christmas was different. Shopping on line made it impossible to feel the fabric or see the actual color of something. We had to wonder if that leather jacket was “buttery soft” as described, or so stiff you could stand it up in the corner.

We received more Christmas cards than usual, which we’ve enjoyed. Maybe people had more time to address them, stamp them and get them in the mail. Or maybe it was a good way to say hello to friends and family they haven’t seen in months.

When I got my new 2021 datebook, I started putting in birthdays, appointments, events, (with the hope they won’t have to be virtual) and other important dates.

Who would have thought this time last year we’d face a virus that would take so many people from us. A virus that made so many sick with such a long recovery time was a surprise to everyone including those in the health care field.

Now we’re looking at a new year. There is a vaccination now. The news seems to be better. And if you’re like me you’ve decided, ‘Well, it can’t be any worse than 2020.’ Can it? Nah. It’s going to get better and someday we’ll look back at this year and, no, we won’t laugh, we’ll just appreciate all the good things we have.

But I think we’re going to have to be patient. And our patience has been stretched as far as size 4 swimsuit on a size 18 body.

Unfortunately we won’t wake up to a perfectly balanced world on Jan. 1, 2021. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hope.

I agree with Zig Ziglar who said, “If there is hope in the future, there is literally power in the present.

Helen Keller said “Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.” I figure if Helen can be that positive, we can too.

All right now, I think I have a good idea. (I just saw you roll your eyes.) What I want you to do is talk to someone either friend or family or on the phone, or if you must do this electronically. “Do what?” you ask.

Talk to someone and compare notes on the funniest thing that happened to you in 2020. No discussion of the trials and tribulations of the year, just whatever made you laugh. If all else fails, refer to one of the hundreds of COVID jokes or videos emailed to you.

So, first you decide who you’re going to talk to. Then you get ahold of them and tell them the plan. Then you laugh together. Success!

You’ll see it’s so fun you’ll think of a second person to call and pretty soon your stomach will hurt from laughing. And that will bring you joy and hope.

I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I know for a fact laughter can bring hope into focus.

I wish you renewed hope and lots of laughter in the New Year.

Cheers!