Laughter in the midst of pain

I count the days that i will be allowed to lead my normal life again - a life of wandering, a life of carefree choices, a life of trial and error, that somehow will bring me back so much of what i have lost, i think. But for now, it is a life confined in bed more than 20 hours a day, restricted movements, limited food choices, and light activities with bathroom privileges. With much internal struggle, i have gracefully accepted the situation and have tried to look at its brighter side.
I have two little brothers, aged 10 and 8. Ever since I arrived here at home, they have been pestering me - going in and out of my room every now and then, playing with everything they could get their hands on, bugging me to play or talk with them. And ever since, i have also tried to shoo them away, telling them to go and play somewhere else, to stop coming in and out of my room while i was resting, to find something worthwhile to do. As children, they have tried to do all these, and then they kept coming back.
Today proved to be a different day. I have realized that I have been keeping them away from me for so long. I thought that when they reach their teenage years, i will not be able to talk with them and they will not be able to talk with me as they try to find their selves on their own. I realized that if i want to stay close to them, i must not let an opportunity pass to let them know that I am here for them, and that i will not close the door for them. So, i changed plan. As soon as my 10 year old brother peeped through my door, i did not shoo him away. He was giggling, as always. I told him to come in. Sooner, our youngest brother came after him. I allowed them to play and my room filled with their childish laughter. I engaged them in a guessing game called "What am I thinking?". We had a great time. I realized I should not have kept them out all this time. They love my company, and I love theirs. Suddenly, I was aware of how much attention they have been asking all this time and I was too selfish to engage them thinking only of my self - my need for space and privacy that actually never consoled me. A few moments later, my younger sister joined our game, and we had the best Sunday night ever. They would not stop until it was time for dinner and bath. We did one last round until my younger sister pleaded sleep for she was leaving early the next day.
My brothers will never be boys forever, and they will only have one childhood. I am thankful that today I took the time to take them in and really listen to them. They told me that they wanted to stay in my room because my room was cooler. Tomorrow, i will put off the aircon and see if they will still hang around.
We all had a good laugh this day, and it was indeed a blessing. Laughter is still the wonder drug for broken hearts.