Learning To Laugh When You Feel Like Crying: Allen Klein on Life and Loss

Posted by kbuxman on February 7, 2011

Allen Klein’s work is very familiar to anyone interested in the connection between humor and healing. His The Healing Power of Humor is pivotal, must-read information essential for any nurse. Klein’s latest book, Learning to Laugh When You Feel Like Crying: Embracing Life After Loss is an intimate, personal examination of what it takes to come back from the death of a loved one.

Allen’s wife Ellen died when she was only 34 years old. Learning to Laugh opens with Allen’s diary from those days. Right away, we’re captured by the emotion of the moment. The grief, the pain, the loss: all are tangible on the page. Just as present, however, is the sense of determined, deliberate optimism and embrace of joy that Klein counted on to get him through the roughest times. (more…)

From Novice to Expert: Humor as a Learned Skill

Posted by kbuxman on March 9, 2009

1066433_coloured_pens_in_a_fist Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was a nursing instructor. And like all nursing instructors, I had students. And like all nursing students everywhere, my class was stressed out, overwhelmed, and ready to crack.

So I decided we were going to have a little break from the hard-core, heavy-duty studying and have a tiny bit of fun. Not bring in Bozo the Clown and amusement park fun, but a few chuckles.

On the way to class, I stopped and bought 17 boxes of crayons.

In class, I gave each student a box of crayons and a sheet of paper. “Draw me a picture,” I said, “that tells me how you’re feeling right now.”

Creativity is always fun, right? Self expression is a route to joy, yes?

Well, no. (more…)

Tags: crayons, Enjoying Humor, learning to laugh, student nurses, student nurses need humor, therapeutic humor

Posted in: Integrating Humor