My husband and I met through work; he was the guy in the office who always sent out the jokes. He would scour the internet to compile funny stories and then share them on a daily basis. I remember looking forward to getting those emails because they always made our workdays easier. He was also the prankster of the office. I recall the time he convinced a co-worker that there were mice in the office even to the point of bringing in some dog hair and building a “nest” in his buddy’s desk. He loves to have fun.

As his PD progresses, being playful and spontaneous has become more difficult. He often avoids social interactions even though the witty thoughts and comments are still there, because they are slower in coming and can seem awkward or out of place. Reading his facial expressions is more challenging these days which means people don’t always know he is joking and are afraid to laugh, not sure of his intentions. That makes our time together and the fun we can find so much more important.

Finding silliness and laughter in whatever we do makes our days brighter. We have some things we do every day, singing a goodnight song with the dog is one example. I often tickle him while I am helping him dress or sneak up behind him and give him a quick hug. We share the morning “funny papers” and search out comedies to watch on tv. He still has a good sense of humor and often teases me, another way to lighten the load for both of us. Whatever it is that we can do to add fun to our day takes away some of the burden and keeps us going.