"You know, I miss getting lost.”
I never thought I would find myself enthralled with a Netflix series dedicated to making fun of aging. Well that was before I was hooked by the brilliance of “The Kominsky Method” and it’s two crotchety yet hilarious aging protagonists, Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.
The magic in their camaraderie lies in their peculiar yet deeply devoted friendship along with their dry and deprecating humor.
Humor is the bond that unites them.
It’s “pee in your pants” kind of humor. Yes, pun well intended, as we know that tends to be an unpleasant byproduct of the aging process.
Most of us are aware by now that we live in a culture where aging is treated more like a disability than a privilege. It’s something to be cured, swept under the rug, made to be invisible – anything other than celebrated.
For those of us lucky enough to make it “over the hill” and into the later stages of life, we tend to see aging in a far more positive light. Getting older deserves to be honored, cherished and celebrated to the rooftops.
The ultimate irony is that making light of the aging process and of ourselves is one of the most foolproof ways to hack the process of aging.
Aging with humor is one of the best ways to age with Grace!
It’s funny (another pun!) that when I was dying of Lyme Disease, my daughter decided to use the power of laughter to aid in my healing process. In all fairness, our idea of humor was light years apart. Maddie found “Bridesmaids” to be rip-roaringly hilarious comedy while I found it to be excruciatingly painful. Eventually, we agreed on reruns of The Carol Burnett Show, which guaranteed giggles no matter how depressed my psyche was at the time.
Laughter truly is the best medicine.
Anatomy of An Illness, one of my favorite books by Norman Cousins and one I looked to as a bible to help in my healing, documents the miraculous healing power of laughter. It’s an eye opening journey of one man’s battle to beat cancer by harnessing the power of laughter along with loads of Vitamin C.
It worked for Norman Cousins and it worked for me!
Healthy aging requires a healthy outlook and mindset. Part of a healthy mindset is the ability to laugh, particularly at one’s self. Laughter makes for happy cells. Happy cells make for a healthy body and mind. A healthy body and mind is the prerequisite for healthy aging.
With the holidays here and a lingering pandemic that continues to add stress to our lives, how about giving the gift of laughter this holiday season? After all, it doesn’t cost anything. Laughter can work miracles. It also has the power to be contagious in the best possible way.
Cheers Beauties! I highly recommend checking out the “Kominsky Method” to start your holiday season off with some guaranteed giggles.
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