If you don't laugh you'll cry

So many times in life you might think that if you don't think about something it will go away.  So many times we have heard things like 'You made your bed, now lie in it'. 'Roll up your sleeves and get on with it,' ' idle hands make fretful minds.'' It's nothing that a bit of hard work won't cure, ' 'Look on the bright side, ' you've got too much to think about, ' 'You haven't got enough to do,' 'everyone back to what they were doing, ' etc etc. I am sure you can come up with many of your own that people have told you over the years.
The point is that we are constantly urged to have something to do, something to get on with to take our mind off our worries.
In these troubled times many of us have turned to social media for comfort. Some of us might sent videos, quotes, inspirational thoughts that in normal times would have been an intrusion into our days. To sit down and watch entertaining videos that last anything up to five minutes thirty times a day would be too time- consuming. Now however it is a comfort, a welcome distraction and a sign that someone is thinking of you.
Of course there is nothing funny about the reason we are all staying at home and avoiding each other, quite the opposite, it is tragic. Yet we can find solace in humour.

Thank you everyone who has sent me videos that have cheered me up and made me feel less alone.

Poems to give you hope

Here are two poems for today, both written in troubled times. Poetry seems to speak straight to the soul and poets great gift is to comfort us and speak to parts that need help-

The first one is by Siegfried Sassoon (1886 - 1967)
He witnessed the horrors of the First World war but wrote this poem about the beauty of bird song.

                         Everybody Sang

Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
And I was filled with such delight
As prisoned birds must find in freedom
Winging wildly across the white
Orchards and dark green fields; on; on; and out of sight.

Everyone's voice was suddenly lifted,
And beauty came like the setting sun.
My heart was shaken with tears; and horror
Drifted away… O but every one
Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing
    will never be done.


the second one is by Patience Strong. Her real name was Winifred Emma May (1907 - 1990) and my mum loved listening to her poems. She wrote poetry during the Second World war to lift up people's spirits and give them hope for peace.

Forget the times of trouble but not the truths they taught.
Forget the days of sorrow but not the strength they brought.

Forget the storms you battled through beneath a heavy load
But not the Light that lead you safely down the unknown road.

I feel thankful to people who wrote poetry that sums up what we are feeling.

A poem a day, a laugh a day, something good to eat a day, a smile a day, a comforting word a day, day by day, one step at a time.

I will end on a light not with a joke

Johnny goes to the doctor

'Doctor, doctor, I keep having a recurring dream. First I'm a wigwam, then I turn into a teepee. Then I'm a wigwam again and then a teepee. What's wrong with me?

The doctor replies, 'It's very simple. You are two tents.  ( too tense)

Smile though your heart is aching

You might recognize the title of today's post as the line of a song. There are so many songs about smiling, being happy. Out on a happy face, smiley happy people having n, and the one above, smile, though your heart is aching.
Smile at  yourself in the mirror when you wake up, it's the quickest facelift ever.
Smile at your friends and family. Smile when you go on Zoom, or whatever you are using.

Here is a quote by Mother Teresa of Calcutta about smiling

Smile at each other, amile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other - and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.