As if January didn’t feel long enough (546 days and counting, it seems), we ended the month with the death of someone who always brought joy to whatever she did.

My mom spent a lot of years working as the head housekeeper at a motel, and sometimes she’d bring me along to work when school was out or I was ill and set me up in a vacant room with a TV. I think that’s probably where I first came across Catherine O’Hara in “SCTV.” While I was a fan of others from that show (most notably Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Martin Short and Rick Moranis), O’Hara always was the bright spark for me, and finding her later in other television shows and in movies like “Beetlejuice” (“The Banana Boat Song” was genius) just deepened my appreciation of her and her talents.

I spent this weekend watching “Schitt’s Creek” again (I still have about another season to go at this point), and will probably cast around for some of her many movies (including “A Mighty Wind” and “Best in Show”) just so I can bask in the brilliance of someone who was full of joy and shared her light with so many. Heck, I might even watch “Home Alone” again even though I’m not much of a fan of that franchise (Macauley Culkin’s social media goodbye to O’Hara just about broke me).

I connected so much with O’Hara not just because in some sense she was my emotional support Canadian (we all need at least one), but because of a couple of lessons from my mom on ways to cope with hard times: Find the joy, and find the funny.

With so much darkness in the world right now, that’s more important than ever if we hope to maintain some level of humanity. And if we truly consider ourselves human, that joy and funny won’t come at the expense of someone else. Reveling in the pain and misery of others is not a good look, nor is it fitting in people who claim to follow Christ. WWJD? Not that.

I’m an optimist, but a realist, so sometimes I can seem a bit cynical and pessimistic about some things (such as trolls); still, I have hope for humanity because I see evidence of it every day. Sometimes it may just be a tiny thing, but it’s enough to hang hope on.

Things that are joyful to me include my family, which includes not just those related by blood, but by love. I have so many extra moms and dads, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces within my circle of friends, which helps a lot considering that so much of my family by blood are gone now (and there are a few that are left that I don’t really talk to, soooo …). While I know I can count on those in my blood family to check in on me, I know I can also depend on Carol and Lewis, Christy, Sarah, Kathy, Sophie, Kristen, Mary and a whole host of friends to jump in with a hopeful word or hand … or weird text … looking at you, John Deering … when I need it.

Plus, there are all those in my fur-family, both the ones still here, like Miley, Spike, Leo and Ollie, and those who’ve gone on before us, like my dear Luke, Tomkin, Charlie, Josie, Pepper and Nora. They love us unconditionally and entertain us endlessly with their exploits (Luke’s imitation of Lassie atop my porch roof will always have a special place in my heart, despite the number of times he sprained a leg jumping down from there before he became inside-only). How dark the world would be without these furry bundles of love.

The joy of family and friends (including critters) can’t be understated. While there will always be problematic people in the circle (going no-contact is sometimes necessary for mental health), hopefully you’ll have someone to share in your joys and sorrows who makes things easier to deal with. And hey, if you don’t have that, here’s your prompt to find them (I’m not above adopting a few nieces and nephews, just as I’ve been adopted by others; I can’t help with money, but I can surely help with a kind word, a laugh, a song, generally being goofy, etc.).

Finding something that just makes you happy, like words do for me (another reason to love O’Hara; so many unused but beautiful words were intoned by her Moira Rose), can do a lot toward relieving the stress of living through all this. Whether that’s gardening, art, music, or whatever floats your boat, as long as it doesn’t hurt others, go for it.

And ignore those individuals who treat others’ happiness the way Triumph the Insult Comic Dog would. They’re not worth it.

Humor can be subjective, so finding the funny may be a little harder in this politicized world. I often find it in odd places, such as the unintentional humor caused by a misspelling or wrong word (like signs apologizing for incontinence rather than inconvenience). Social media contributes to a lot of ills, but it’s also where you can find some hilarious memes that have absolutely nothing to do with politics or delighting in the misery of others.

But I always have my standbys when I need a laugh: Monty Python (especially “The Holy Grail,” but also the television series; I’m a huge fan of “The Lumberjack Song”), “Key and Peele” (mostly nonpolitical, but the Obama anger translator bit is hilarious), “The Good Place,” “Big Bang Theory,” and “Resident Alien” (Alan Tudyk is a marvel, and I’m still mad his character Wash died in “Serenity”), among others.

And frankly, just about anything (other than her dramatic turns, such as “The Last of Us,” though it’s a great show) with Catherine O’Hara is going to be a good bet for laughs. I’ll finish out “Schitt’s Creek” this week, and maybe see if I can find some “SCTV” sketches, then settle in for some delightful weirdness with her and her frequent collaborators.

Thank you, Ms. O’Hara, for the joy and the funny.