Your child being critically or terminally ill is the most devastating thing you can face as a parent. You make multiple visits in hopes that your child is showing some progress, but the child’s health remains the same, or in some cases worsens. In such moments, joy is almost impossible to find, and there is nothing you can think of that can cheer you up.
So, are you really alone, or is there even the slightest thing that can cheer you up?
Hope is the Light in the Darkest of Night
While it is true that happiness is almost impossible to find when your child is critically, or even worse, terminally ill, there is one element that can bring out joy, even in such moments. That element is hope, and it is that light illuminates the darkest of alleys, the deepest of trenches, and the depths of the ocean. It is the orb that shows you the right path when everything else appears to be going wrong. And it gets you out of those dark places.
But even after finding hope, it can still be immensely challenging to create joyful memories in such critical times. So, how do you create joyful memories when time feels short?
How to Find Joy When Time Feels Short?
Finding joy when time feels short can be hard, but hope can inspire even the worst of people. Do you know why kids love Superman? It’s because he is the beacon of hope, even after losing his home planet, Krypton. As a parent, you can be Superman too, and create joyful memories when time feels short.
Focus on Simple Pleasure
Forget expensive trips and laid out plans. Joy lives in the small things, like eating breakfast together, building a blanket fort, or playing the song that your child loves the most in the hospital room. These simple activities require no energy, no travel, and cost almost nothing, yet they create the biggest smiles and the most treasured memories.
Say Yes to the Unusual
Instead of saying no when your child asks for ice cream at 9 AM or wants to wear their superhero costume to a doctor’s appointment, say yes. Critical and terminal illness are moments when normal rules don’t apply anymore. Let them have cake for breakfast, watch cartoons all day, or sleep in your bed every night. These “rule-breaking” moments often become the memories they treasure most.
Capture Everything
Your mobile has a camera for a reason. In such moments, its primary purpose is to capture the moments when your child feels happy and smiles. Don’t be shy, take out your camera, and capture a photo or shoot a video. You will thank us later
Include Them in Creating Memories
Ask your child what would make them happy today. Let them plan a special afternoon or choose a memory-making activity. When children have a say in creating their own joy, the memories become even more meaningful. You might be surprised by how simple their wishes really are and how much happiness can fit into one perfect moment.
Create Traditions Just for You
Start something special that belongs only to your family. Maybe it’s telling made-up stories about brave knights every night, or having “fancy tea parties” with stuffed animals as guests, or creating a secret handshake that makes you both laugh, or even playing a special game. Even if you only get to do them a few times, they become “your thing.” Something unique and beautiful that no one else in the world shares.
Concluding Thoughts
Hope lives even in the darkest times and can inspire joy in such moments. Learn to find joy in small things, for those who do so are the ones who truly enjoy major moments of happiness. Whatever the fate awaits, know that after every bad comes good, and after every calamity comes peace.
