And so we shall laugh a lot more from now.

I am sure many of us heard or seen personally too many a case about someone in our friends or family circle fighting the much dreaded cancer. If not, then you are very fortunate. Count your blessings.

The first time I saw someone very close to me battling for life was my 4th uncle who was very handsome, gentlemanly and loving to his family. Then again, I didn't see him much coz he wasn't staying at the same town as us.

Then, my closer aunt who spent many nights playing chor tai di with my 2-poh, my mom and I late into the nights when korkor was just a little toddler who would be sleeping soundly in the room, died of lung cancer after fighting for less than a year. I still remembered accompanying her when she discharged from the GH and the time when all of us gathered at her home.

These days, I have one close friend of mine whose husband is fighting for his life while another ex-coursemate is having the same fate.

While I wanted so much to show my concern, love and support to them, more often than not, I do not know how and what to say so they could feel better, albeit a little bit.

To show pity and sorrow would be the last thing they would ever wanted to hear, I believe.

To say that everything will be ok and God would take care of it, well, fark, how do I even know!?

To leave them alone, coz, you know, sometimes they might wanna be alone?

Whatever it is, it's so hard to find all the right things to say.

Today, my hubs told me a story.

You know Raymond Wong? The guy in HK who make funny movies that tug your heartstrings?

My hubs saw the other day, on TV, that Raymond had came up to talk about his wife who was diagnosed with cancer (probably cervical, if I'm not mistaken) circa 2000 or so. When she went into operation, the doctors found that the illness had spread too rapidly and couldn't be able to do anything for her and sent her home to wait.

The hubs, then bought a vacation house somewhere here in Mal, and would bring her often for relaxation. Meanwhile, he summoned his kids to bring cheer and laughter to her like every so often.

After about 9 months of laughing, they went back to the doctor and had a scan. Miraculously, they were told that the cancer cells had all shrunk and she was on the way to recovery. Much more later, she was given the all clear.

I think, the moral of this story is, probably the best thing to do or say to a patient is to make him/her laugh. That would be a little bit challenging, but at least I know now which direction to go when I want to meet or talk to my friends who are fighting this battle.

Laughter is truly the best medicine.