This is the complete version of the post on the Grateful Living blog, published Dec 19th '11, with the films, links and all.
It's Funny
When my dad passed away a few years ago I was devastated. Up until that point in my life I had not suffered many losses on that scale. (I've been very blessed, yes.) I had no tools on how to handle it. So I just did and lived what felt necessary and good at the time. One or two day after his passing away I was sitting in a taxi.
If you read my previous post here on Grateful Living you know I can't drive a car, and I get to travel by taxi instead of by public transport. Since I live quite a bit outside Stockholm city center my journeys are most often rather long. 40 minutes to over an hour. To go to my mums place it takes at least 1,5 hours.
Anyway, I don't remember now where I was going that day. But I remember that the night before I had thought about that trip and gotten very nervous. I didn't know how I would cope sitting in the car for so long having to be completely inactive. So I loaded my iPod (didn't have an iPhone yet) with lot's of stuff. I knew I needed my mind to escape, to be able to hold together.
So I sat there in the taxi, in the backseat, with my ear phones on. And do you know what I listened to? Robin Williams live on Broadway. It was actually the first time I heard it. I don't remember now, but I had probably downloaded it the night before, for this particular purpose. But I do remember this: as the taxi had just passed the roundabout by Ekero Centrum, Robin was going absolutely crazy about something, and it was sooooo funny.
It was so funny, and I laughed. I laughed. And my tears were pouring at the same time. I was turning my head away staring out the window. I was thinking "what if the taxi driver knew my father passed away only one and a half days ago". He'd think I am an absolutely horrendous person. Listening to comedy. Laughing.
I was thinking about my father. What if he knew I was sitting there laughing? What would he think about that? And I realized there and then, he actually would have loved it. He would have laughed as much as I at Robin Williams. Coz Robin was absolutely hilarious. We would have giggled our heads off. Together. Screaming from laughter. I felt so close to my dad at that time. I was together with him, and I know he would have loved my method of coping. Laughter. Humor. Funny things. Witty. Quick. Silly. Funny.
I am so grateful for the existence of 'funny'. What would life be without it really?
Here are a few things I find funny. I have had to cut down my list to things that can be understood by English speaking people. Unfortunately. Coz there are a lot of funny stuff in Swedish too. The list is in a completely random order.
Creature Comforts - Working Animals, part 1. This one is not allowed to be embedded as a film, but here's the link that takes you to YouTube. Well worth it!
This one might be a bit rude if you are sensitive. And I feel I need to inform you that I am not for drug use. In fact I've never tried anything like E myself.
And last but not least, the first part of the full show I listened to "with" my dad. The following parts can be found on YouTube.
Make sure you get at least one good laugh a day!
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