Hope and Humor

Posted byHanging on to HopePosted inHanging on to HOPE - from Acknowledgement to Action

As our lives spiral out of control during a crisis or loss it seems impossible to believe that humor and hope have any place in our lives.  We are so caught up in dealing with the situation at hand and often so angry or depressed that anyone who tries to cheer us up or make us laugh is treated with disgust and even contempt.  “How dare they? Don’t they realize what I’m going through???” we ask. 

Those questions are legitimate questions to ask as we deal with adverse situations…and rightfully so. 

Healing from crises and loss takes time.  And that healing and grief process is different for each of us. And sometimes it may not ever end. 

But I do know this.  There are resources available to help us.  One of those resources is humor.

At some point in time after a crisis or loss, most of us can begin to move on.  And when we do, we can find humor in life once again….and even laugh.

I cannot begin to understand the type of pain you are experiencing in your life, or may have previously experienced, but I can attempt to offer a brief bit of humor in the form of the “Punchlines” section of this website. Our cartoon characters, Simon and Specs can help us (OK … maybe or maybe not … especially if you do not like puns!).  I have also created 2 new characters:  Hope, the cat, and Harry, the dog. Together with Simon and Specs, Hope and Harry will perhaps give us a few things to smile about.

In addition to some major updates to the Punchlines’ web page and this September blog, I have also included a couple of brief book summaries on the Book Summaries page (Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life and What Doesn’t Kill Us:  The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth) … both books are notable because they highlight the paths we can take as individuals to help others as well as ourselves find strength and courage to move forward with hope.

“Whenever we feel trapped in the pain of today, hope reminds us we need not be there forever.” – Casey Gwinn & Chan Hellman – Hope Rising

Adversity in life is NOT optional, but your response to it is! Hang on to Hope!

Gregory Charles Reynolds

Published by Hanging on to Hope

Gregory Charles Reynolds has been on a spiritual quest for most of his life. As a student at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, he studied religion, philosophy, and art. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamline in 1971 and has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. After a rewarding 32-year career working in the Finance and Education and Training organizations within 3M Company, he retired in 2007. In 2016, he came out of retirement to work for a non-profit organization and subsequently "retired" a second time in 2020. Gregory is no stranger to adversity and the struggle we each face to not only survive, but attempt to thrive under adverse conditions and circumstances. Recovering from a heart attack in 2008, he found renewed strength, support and belief in the power of an awesome God. He could not have done this alone, and is extremely grateful to family members and friends who guided him through a difficult time. Having witnessed the effects of illnesses and diseases like cancer on close friends and family members, he is constantly reminded that adversity impacts not only the patient or victim, but also those who care about the health and wellbeing of others. Believing that adversity in all our lives is not optional, Greg has continued his quest to find meaning and purpose in life and has established this website and blog to create hope in the future for all of us.

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