A Saving Grace

My grand-nephew Matthew, when he was a freshman at Loyola Chicago, shaved his head, raising over $750 as part of the fundraising for St. Baldrick’s – an organization dedicated to eliminating childhood cancer.

Manuel Garcia was leaving the hospital after many chemotherapy treatments, with a resultant loss of his thick head of hair.  Only 35 years old, he feared being different from the rest of his family and friends.

He dozed off for an hour and then suddenly waking up, he saw a sight at the foot of his bed he couldn’t believe.  His wife and four friends stood there with all their hair shaved off.  The result was much laughter and joking on the way home.

At the house, 50 people awaited him, adults and children.  They too had their hair shaved off their heads.  “Welcome home, Manuel.”  What a joyous party followed with the sound of laughter and singing filling the house for hours. 

The best medicine for a sick person, a gloomy family member, or a troubled relationship is lightheartedness, a spirit of joy, a willingness to make fun of ourselves to make others laugh.

Laughter pours healing chemicals into the bloodstream of a human being, whether physically sick or not.  It heals wounds in family life.  Only lighthearted conversation at the dinner table, with the sharing of jokes and funny stories:  make this a strict rule!

Fr. George Mc Kenna