{"id":251317,"date":"2026-07-13T01:11:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T22:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/able-to-laugh-jade-and-john-reynolds-1\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T01:11:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T22:11:24","slug":"able-to-laugh-jade-and-john-reynolds-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/able-to-laugh-jade-and-john-reynolds-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Able To Laugh – Jade And John Reynolds (1)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What about all the Dutch ovens I give her, for example? Of course, many go the other way too. In their desire to elevate those with disabilities, they can clumsily slip into wokeness. While well meant, comments like \u2018There\u2019s nothing wrong with your wife\u2019 can have the opposite effect, downplaying all she\u2019s been through and the challenges she faces every day. I realise there is a good heart behind these messages and they are probably a way of saying that she\u2019s still worthy of love and dignity and still has value.<\/p>\n

But the phrase \u2018There\u2019s nothing wrong with your wife\u2019 sounds perilously close to a Tory disability benefits policy. It\u2019s hard not to be sarcastic sometimes, but I often want to reply, and sometimes do, \u2018Seriously? There isn\u2019t? She made me carry her up steps last week when the lift was broken. So lazy!\u2019 Jade I remember watching a documentary where Kate Garraway spoke about her husband\u2019s health deterioration after he contracted Covid.<\/p>\n

He became so unwell he needed carers, and Kate remarked on some of the advice and comments from friends and family who had said things like, \u2018You can leave him, you know. You didn\u2019t sign up for this.\u2019 She would reply, \u2018Pardon? I made vows. I literally did sign up for this.\u2019 Sure, we hope that we have more \u2018better\u2019 than \u2018worse\u2019 times, and more \u2018health\u2019 than \u2018sickness\u2019, in our marriages, but promises are promises and should mean something.<\/p>\n

You only have to watch dating shows from over the last ten years to know that a consumeristic attitude towards dating and marriage has emerged. As we\u2019ve already discussed, the multitude of these programmes has normalised the idea that the second the butterflies are no longer there, you shouldn\u2019t be either. I recently saw an Instagram video showing Bren\u00e9 Brown discussing the shared roles in a marriage. She said: Marriage is never fifty-fifty. Sometimes he\u2019s on twenty\u2026 I got [him]\u2026 other times, I\u2019ve got ten and he\u2019s at twenty and we know that we have to sit down at the table and have a conversation any time we\u2019re at less than a hundred combined and figure out a plan of kindness towards one another.<\/p>\n

A partnership works when you can carry their twenty or they can carry your twenty.1 I think many people would assume that John is mostly carrying my twenty, and while my additional health challenges mean he probably carries more than I\u2019m able to, there are many times where the opposite is true. Most weeks there are also days when I\u2019m carrying his twenty. I\u2019ll be honest, it does frustrate me when people think John\u2019s primary role in our lives is to serve as my carer.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, there have been times when John has had to care for me when I\u2019ve been very ill, but that isn\u2019t true of our entire relationship. Most of the time we\u2019re just like any other married couple.<\/p>\n

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\u2018How we respond to adversity in life often defines how the rest of our story unfolds. Jade and John show not just the power of resilience, in Able to Laugh but humour as well. It\u2019s a wonderfully inspiring story of love, strength and triumph over adversity.\u2019 Simon Thomas, TV presenter, author and president of Blood Cancer UK \u2018If you like your books full of gritty honesty, laugh-out-loud humour and cheeky but challenging stories about life (including the realities of life with a disability), this is the book for you.<\/p>\n

But more than that, this is a beautiful story of two people whose love, determination, wit and wisdom are inspiring and hilarious in equal measure. I can\u2019t recommend this book highly enough.\u2019 Cathy Madavan, author, speaker and broadcaster \u2018This book is inspirational. A must-read for any woman who knows the predicament of being a very patient woman with an incredibly annoying husband.\u2019 Suzie Kennedy, actor, singer, comedian and speaker \u2018We love Jade and John\u2019s posts on social media \u2013 and now this book! Funny, informative, down-to-earth and hopeful, Able to Laugh is a beautiful and moving account of the reality of disability.<\/p>\n

We recommend it to everyone.\u2019 Archie and Sam Coates, senior leaders at Holy Trinity Brompton \u2018Able to Laugh is a refreshing and honest take on navigating life\u2019s challenges with humour and resilience. This book beautifully combines deep reflection, wisdom and wit, offering readers a unique and authentic glimpse into Jade\u2019s journey through paralysis as well as their family life. John and Jade\u2019s storytelling is engaging and relatable, making this book a must for anyone looking for a heartfelt and entertaining read. Able to laugh is a true gem that will leave you laughing, crying and ultimately feeling inspired by the power of laughter in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n

Highly recommended!\u2019 Dan Blythe, global youth director for Alpha Youth \u2018This book had me crying tears of sadness, then quickly after tears of joy. It will have you literally laughing out loud in parts. Jade and John are exceptional people who tell their story in a vulnerable, honest and humorous way. This book is one we can all learn and grow from.\u2019 Elle Limebear, singer, songwriter and artist \u2018Annoyingly, John and Jade are as brilliant at long-form prose as they are at short-form videos.<\/p>\n

If they decide to do a stand-up tour off the back of this, I am giving up comedy forever.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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