managing stress

i noticed that over the last two weeks, each and everyone of us in the family has been under some sort of stress over my dad's conditions. without making any judgments of them, i would say that each of us has managed it differently.

• my mum. she has been having sleepless nights just worrying about my dad. asked her if she was able to sleep well now that my dad is away in hospital, she replied that she had not been able to sleep worrying about his swollen leg, worrying about his liver cancer... putting myself in her shoes, i can understand her worries. it must have been difficult for her to manage the stress and accepting the eventuality that my dad's time will come soon.

• my sisters. they have been doing what they can by visiting my dad. there is really not much they can do. can sense that they are loosing their temper faster these days. certainly don't like to get into the situation where differences in opinions end up with tensions, just like the way my eldest sis had responded when i shared with her my concerns of hiring a maid. sighs...

• my (ex) bro. he has been visiting dad at the hospital daily to bathe him and to see him. he is the closest to my dad. i think he will probably be the hardest hit when my dad passes away. and i think i will have the greatest tensions with him when it comes to managing the funeral and stuff.

• me. personally, don't find it easy. sensing that everyone is assuming i am unfeeling about my dad's condition. seemed like my acceptance of his eventual demise as a natural development of things has been perceived as me not caring. and it gets more and more difficult to communicate with all of them.

guess we all have our own ways of managing stress. it's so difficult and i find myself treading a very fine line between communicating objectively and sounding uncaring when it comes to my own family members.