Finding a Smile

                 There are so many things happening in our family. The main one being that My Father-in Law is sick in the Hospital and it looks like he will not be getting better. I am sad. Very sad. I thought of NOT posting about it. I thought that maybe I shouldn't, because we are so sad and it would just bring people down.

But this is life.

Sometimes there are days where there is laughter and fun stuff happening and sometimes there is sadness and fear and chaos.

However... I'd like to be like my Dad.

He always found a bit of light in the darkest of days.

He could always find a bit of humor when tears flowed freely.

He found bits of happiness in the saddest of times.

I want to be like him.

So here goes...

While my Father-in-law is in the hospital one of the three sons must stay nights with my dear Mother-in -law because she suffers a bit of Dementia. I write "a bit" because it sounds dainty and Sweet and fleeting. Which is the case with her. Sometimes she is on-the-ball and remembers everything and other times she forgets who I am and thinks I'm an old friend from her old Brooklyn neighborhood.
On those days...I'm happy to be that old friend.

So her three sons...My husband and my two brother-in-laws take turns staying the nights with her.

When it was my Husband's turn one night...there was this issue about some hidden money....

Seems my Father-in-law likes to keep cash on hand...a whole lotta cash.

One of the brother's suggested that this cash be counted and placed in an envelope and put back in their parent's bank account.

There was only one problem.

My Mother-in-law moved the money.

She has Dementia, and she was in charge of hiding the money. Nothing wrong here right?

See where I'm going with this?

So my Husband asks her "Hey Ma, lets get that money so we can count it. Where did you put it?"

Silence

She answered "I know exactly where it is." (She didn't) "Come with me."

 So my husband followed my mother-in-law as she shuffled slowly to look in places where the money was NOT located. She suggested to my Husband to use a flashlight. All the lights were on in the house but she insisted he use a flash light. He has learned to give in to these minor requests, because it makes her feel like she is still in control.

So there they were...slowly walking around (holding a flashlight in the well lit house) trying to find the cash.



           

They were like old fashioned Cat Burglars, except one was an extremely slow moving woman nearly 90 and the other was a very patient 50-year-old. They "slunked" around for a long while. They slunked here, and they slunked over there ( I loved the word slunked) until buried in a drawer the money was finally found.

They counted it and my husband let my MIL count it too. It took a lot of time but she seemed to enjoy it. It took her mind away from the fact that she may lose her husband of 55 years. My Husband was able to entertain her by having a bit of an adventure with his elderly mom.

He laughed while he performed a reenactment for me and I laughed too. It was nice to see him smile.

So you see, even in the most trying of times, a smile can be found. Thanks Dad