“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22 CSB

When I first got my oxygen compressor, I’ll admit—I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. There it sat in the corner of the room, humming away like a spaceship ready for liftoff. Attached to it? A 50-foot oxygen line. Add in my 7-foot nose cannula, and let’s just say I had officially leveled up in life… as a walking, talking, medical-grade jump rope.

I looked at my husband with the most serious face I could muster and said,
“Hey babe… you wanna play hide-and-go-seek?”

We laughed. Oh, how we laughed—until we were crying, gasping, and trying to catch our breath from laughing so hard. It was a moment. A good moment. One that reminded me of something important:

Sometimes, you just have to laugh.

🌀 Finding Funny in the Unexpected

Illness can feel like a constant weight. There are doctor visits, new medications, side effects, symptoms, and the endless stream of questions: “How are you feeling today?” (Spoiler alert: still sick.) But tucked between all the heaviness are tiny, sparkly moments of absurdity—like trying to walk through your house with the long oxygen tubing getting caught on a chair or something, only to either be yanked back or having to retrace your steps because you always have to go back from whence you came because there is no more line left to give.

Or like accidentally dragging your oxygen tubing into the bathroom and realizing halfway through brushing your teeth that you’re tethered like a human balloon.

You’ve got to laugh. And I’ve learned that laughter doesn’t deny the struggle—it just lightens it.

😄 Oxygen Couture & Laughing Through It

Let me tell you, nothing makes you feel more glamorous than trying to coordinate your outfit with your nasal cannula. There’s no Pinterest board for “Oxygen Chic,” but if there were, I’d probably be on it.

And then there’s the sound effects. If you’ve never heard the glorious squeak, drag, bump of an oxygen compressor following you like an overly attached Roomba, you’re missing out on a full concert.

But here’s the truth: humor has become one of my greatest forms of healing.

It reminds me that even though my body may be struggling, my spirit is still alive—vibrant, joyful, and capable of finding light even in the most tangled oxygen cords.

💡 Laughter as Holy Ground

I once thought faith and illness meant being solemn all the time—quiet, prayerful, contemplative. But I’ve learned that laughter is also sacred. It’s holy ground too.

It’s in those moments of ridiculous joy where I feel God wink at me, like He’s saying,
“Yes, my child. Even here, even now—you can laugh. You are still alive.”

So I embrace the bloopers. The trips over tubing. The impromptu hide-and-seek. The times I’ve turned around too fast and my cannula whipped off my face like a party streamer. (10/10 do not recommend.)

📌 A Reminder for You

If you’re navigating a chronic illness or just going through a tough season, find the funny. Even if it’s buried. Even if it’s awkward. Even if it’s wrapped around 50 feet of tubing.

Because laughter doesn’t mean you’re not taking things seriously. It means you’re refusing to let the hard things steal all the good.

🙏 A Quick Prayer

Lord, thank You for the gift of laughter. Help me to find joy even in the mess, the tangled tubes, and the unexpected moments. Teach me to see humor as healing and joy as sacred. When the days feel heavy, remind me to smile, to breathe, and to trust that You are with me—oxygen line and all. Amen.

With joy and grace,
Stacy