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For the jokes

There aren't a whole lot of great things about getting cancer. It does teach you about what's really important in life, and it shows you who your down and dirty people are, blah, blah, etc... but if I could say one thing that is pretty fantastic, it's that cancer is the ultimate comedic pass for a person with a dark sense of humor, i.e. Me.

It's true, I have always enjoyed jokes or zingers that make some people cringe and others who are sick like me (in the literal and figurative sense) let out an irreverent cackle, but adding cancer to the mix has taken it to another level. For better or worse, in sickness and in eventual health.

Although I probably shouldn't, I will shamelessly admit to having as much fun as I possibly can with my cancer comedy pass. But I've learned the hard way that it can make people uncomfortable, to say the least. I see the faces of shock and I know what's behind the small gasps and not-so-well-hidden grimaces... Oohhhhh, is that really something to joke about? What did she say? Is it ok to laugh at this? Yes, yes it is. Please laugh. Please laugh with me because if it's not the best medicine, than radioactive iodine might be and heaven help us if that's true. (See, there it was again.)

It has been years since I've watched Seinfeld, but I think everyone remembers The Yada Yada episode. I love that one, not because of the iconic "Yada, yada, yada..." line that kids in high school who have never even seen the show probably spout off, but because of the dentist story line. Jerry is convinced that his dentist has only converted to Judaism "for the jokes". He tells a priest in confession, CONFESSION (glorious), that he is offended by this not as a Jewish person, but as a comedian. I mean... Spectacular!

I was recently in actual confession/therapy with one of my favorite priests (Are you supposed to have favorites? Oh well. I do.) and he wondered if I had asked God, "Why did you let this happen to me?" To be honest, that question had never occurred to me. I suppose I could agonize over what I've done or not done in my life to deserve a difficult path right now. And I could probably get into a lot of very tiring debates over whether or not God allows bad things to happen to people. But I learned, or maybe just decided, a long time ago not to think that way.

But, having said that, if I ever did ask the question, "Why in the world would God allow me to get cancer?!?!" The answer is so very clear: for the jokes.