H.O.P.E.: How to slay a dragon’s little brother — Part 2

Part 2: H – Humor

After an hour of fitful sleep, a crushing pressure on the knight’s chest woke him up. He opened a bloodshot eye and saw Fear standing on him, staring him in the eye. “ENOUGH!” shouted the knight. “I NEED HELP!”

POP!!!!

A crack echoed from across the room, startling the knight. In the corner was a small, balding man with a mustache and a heavy five-o’clock shadow. He had wings, a robe and a wand with a star on the end. “Excuse me?” said the knight, “Who are you? No — WHAT are you?”

“You rang? I’m your Fairy Godfather,” said the little man with the wand.

The knight rubbed his eyes. It was bad enough he had a small dragon on his chest. Now he had a robed little man fluttering around his room like a one-winged moth.

“I’m here to grant your wish. I’m here to bring you H.O.P.E.” the Fairy Godfather said. The knight sat up, causing Fear to tumble to the floor. “Where’s my Fairy Godmother and what’s H.O.P.E?”

“Bernice? She’s on a cruise. And don’t make any ‘Offer you can’t refuse jokes;’ I’m not that kind of Godfather.” The Fairy Godfather scratched himself and waved his wand. “Ala-KAZING.” A small golden package appeared in front of the Knight. “This is H.O.P.E. It’s divided into four parts. Open the one that has the H on it. It’s the first one.”

The knight cautiously opened the first package. Inside was a scroll that had one word on it — Humor. The Fairy Godfather said, “You have to learn to laugh at the things that scare you.”

The knight looked at the little winged man. “Easier said than done, pal. It’s like love thy neighbor — I try to, but Prince Littlejohn annoys the living crud out of me when he doesn’t rake his yard.”

The Fairy Godfather laughed. “I agree. But let me tell you a story and you’ll understand.”

The knight and Fear the Dragon sat on the couch as the Fairy Godfather began.

“There once was a man who had melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer. His family decided he needed support, so they took him on a retreat — to the beach. The rest of the family was out playing on the beach and the man was stuck inside (so he wouldn’t burst into flames.) After a while, the man gave in and took his shirt off and ran into the ocean for a swim. Since he had his melanoma removed, he had an eight-inch scar on his back that was bright red. As he entered the ocean, a lady and her two girls stared a the man’s scar. Now the man felt really terrible about being made to feel like the freak of the week. But he decided to try something other than being offended.”

“Oh that?” the man smiled and pointed at the scar. “Shark attack. And it happened where the little girls are swimming.”

“The lady picked up the little girls and swiftly got out of the ocean. He had a choice: He could be offended or he could tell a joke. He went with humor. It was healing.”

“Healing?” the knight sighed. “How was a joke healing?”

“Studies show that laughter boosts immune function, improves well-being and reduces stress. And what cancer survivor doesn’t need a little reduced stress?” Fear growled as the little Fairy Godfather pulled out a book. ” Read this. It’s by Norman Cousins. He was a big believer in the power of laughter. “The Fairy Godfather smile as the knight picked up the book. The cover read Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient.

“Humor. Laugh at the things that scare you. Remember that. Watch comedians. See a funny movie. Tell a joke to a friend. Laugh! Let loose!!!” The Fairy Godfather pointed at the box and then said, “Pull out the ‘O'”

Click here for part 3.