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Last week I was talking with a dear old friend. Ordinarily, I can count on him for several good laughs or very bad jokes during any conversation. Lately, he's been weighed down by a few of these aforementioned challenges. He tells me that these days his sense of humor doesn't show up very often.

We homo sapiens have a miraculous capacity to laugh and cry simultaneously. Frustration and joy, guilt and delight, fear and passion -- opposite emotions can and do co-exist. Now more than ever, during these moments of sorrow or struggle, making the time and space for what we love, what makes our heart sing, and what brings us joy is an essential ingredient to surviving and eventually thriving once again. No matter what sticky situations we're facing, eliminating what some might call "frivolous" activities and focusing solely on the crisis at hand is counterproductive. It denies us the opportunity to replenish and renew our energies and our spirits.

I believe that we have been given these gifts -- the capacity to laugh, feel pleasure, appreciate beauty, and so on -- especially for times like these. Owning our silliness, love of music, or fondness for puns; taking a few minutes to appreciate a sunset or bird song or cook a nourishing meal; making sure to ask for and give hugs and reassurances and flirt just a little are all acts of affirmation, defiance and hope. We're not minimizing or avoiding our responsibilities, we're placing them gently in a strong cardboard box and putting them up on the top shelf of the closet -- just for a little while. Even in the midst of disappointment, sorrow, frustration or fear, taking time out to nourish our bodies, minds and spirits is the best way to stand firm and face the days ahead.

How can you help yourself stay connected to your blessings and gifts? What can you do to help others?

This is a reprint of the October 8, 2004 issue of Nancy Gerber's weekly e-zine, "Thoughts For A Thursday", published weekly since February 15, 2001. Subscribe at http://www.sstones.com/newsletter.shtml

Laughter is part of the human survival kit.
-- David Nathan

I think laughter may be a form of courage. As humans we sometimes stand tall and look into the sun and laugh, and I think we are never more brave than when we do that.
-- Linda Ellerbee

Laughter is the jam on the toast of life. It adds flavor, keeps it from being too dry, and makes it easier to swallow.
-- Diane Johnson

Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.
-- Japanese Proverb

I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.
-- Bob Hope

The best music... is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.
-- Bruce Springsteen

Music washes away from the soul the dust of every day life.
-- Johann Sebastian Bach

Do you know what happens to scar tissue? It's the strongest part of the skin.
-- Michael R. Mantell

We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.
-- Virginia Satir

Live your life while you have it. Life is a splendid gift. There is nothing small about it.
-- Florence Nightingale

To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two--spend some time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think, and cry, that's a heck of a day.
-- Jim Valvano