Humor above Stress

It's easy to walk into Mom and Dad's house with a smile and a spring in my step because I know my family and I are so lucky to live about 100 steps from door to door from them. Maybe not even that far. We have lots of fun stories to share from the girls' first few days at school, soccer practices, band practice, last minute school physicals, typical work day humor.

It's hard to leave Mom and Dad's house, even with a plodding step, because I want so badly to help ease the emotional stress, trying to maintain a balance of cheerful chatter, looking for a receptive, understanding, or encouraging expression, knowing when to shut up, knowing what will work best for dinner...wondering if there's room in the closet for the nonstop pile of laundry...that's part of the hard part. I always feel like I didn't do enough, and all the guilt of balancing the 2 houses on opposite sides of the street is sometimes almost crushing. 

But, in between, I get to see little joys, like this:

Yesterday, I was helping Dad lift mom up onto her wedge pillow so she could see the TV better. She didn't understand what we were doing, and I was telling some story about who knows what...I'm sure I was talking too fast as usual.  Mom got very irritated and said "What are you doing?", which caught me off guard so I stopped my story and told her we were just going to move her up in bed. She was frustrated with me, and likely with just being stuck in bed anyway, but particularly at my noisiness.  Then, Dad said he was moving her so he could kiss her easily, which she immediately softened towards.  And she replied, clear as day, "Well okay, but you know that has absolutely nothing to do with it!" 

How does someone with a brain tumor, who can barely verbally communicate, make me and Dad laugh, and release the tension just at the right time?  We are thankful for moments like that, they are rare but cherished.