"Sardonic

French sardonique, from Greek sardonios (meaning "of bitter or scornful laughter"), by influence of Sardonios - the Greeks believed that eating a certain plant they called sardonion ("plant from Sardinia") caused facial convulsions resembling those of sardonic laughter, usually followed by death.

Scornfully mocking or cynical.

Disdainfully or ironically humorous. " thanks to the Wikidictionary.

Some of the humour I use as a caregiver and as an Australian woman is sardonic. It is laughter with a twist, black humour, humour where you "had to be there". Sometimes this is misunderstood by others who are not used to this and can take offence at it's bitter-sweet component.

Ray is back from Camp Breakaway, he had a good time, so he said. Mind you he couldn't actually enumerate what happened, who was there or what was said and done. That is okay. I have an arrangement now where our provider gives me a follow-up call with any new problems etc that may have occurred. Today's phone call was about incontinence as that is his new problem. I guessed it must have been as his black garbage bag in which the used clothes come home was full and his suitcase practically empty. So next time there is a request that he wears diapers. And that I send two spares for each day. This is okay with him, he says. The woman I was talking to will also send some literature on the latest ones.

She said to me:"We can't leave him wet."I said to her:"Maybe it was raining." She laughed, understanding that I was trying to inject some humour into a painful discussion. It must be hard to make these calls. To tell someone that their dear one doesn't have some of those skills that we all take for granted, or that compared to last time there had been a deterioration, a loss of skills. Mind you the caregiver usually realises what is happening, only now it is out in the open, put into someones files.

He also left his "Glucometer" behind. He takes his sugar readings every morning so I rang to find out if it had been located. Luckily it had and will be returned by one of the workers who will drop it here after a night in Sydney.She is a friend's daughter so I told her no rush, leave her options open, she might get lucky and not come home. She laughed. It is a small courtesy, to laugh to create a mutual feeling of relief. We are blessed by those people who come into our lifes rarely but always bring good humour and a willingness to share laughter.

I loved Sarah's (Spacie1) blog about the pink panties. It is easy to pack wrong clothes or not pack the right ones. Ray's have to be labelled, and listed on a list to go to Camp Breakaway.I think they all came back because Ray left the ticked off list on his bed. Really handy. So if one day I go looking for a particular pair of trousers or a cardigan I'll know where it is.

Anyway he is home, the holiday is over BUT I get to do it all again in two weeks time!!