When Play Sneaks In and Joy Gets to Lead

Caregiving can make life feel very serious.

Responsibilities stack up. Emotions stay close to the surface. And somewhere along the way, play often slips quietly out the back door. Not intentionally. Just gradually.

So when something lighthearted shows up and insists on being enjoyed, it’s worth paying attention.

Earlier this year, Jamee gave me a life-size cutout of Derek Hough as a birthday gift. It was ridiculous in the best way. Funny. Unexpected. Completely impractical. Which, in hindsight, might be exactly why it mattered.

When we later found ourselves on a cruise where Derek Hough would actually be present, we brought the cutout along as a joke. A bit of silliness. Nothing more.

But here’s the thing about play. When you let it in, it tends to grow.

During a salsa class on the pool deck, while Jamee was at a guitar lesson, I took the cutout with me. The music was loud, the sun was intense, and everyone was already laughing and moving. At one point, Derek noticed the cutout and reacted with genuine surprise and humor, inviting “eyepatch Derek” to join the moment.

And suddenly, the entire space felt lighter.

People laughed together. Clapped. Cheered. No one was trying to impress anyone else. It was pure, shared joy. The kind that doesn’t require explanation or achievement. The kind that reminds you how good it feels to let go.

For caregivers, moments like this can be more than funny stories. They are nervous system resets. They remind us that laughter is not frivolous. That joy doesn’t need a reason. That it’s okay to step out of seriousness and into play, even briefly.

Later, the moment lived on in unexpected ways, including a short appearance in a Reel shared by Derek and Lindsey Stirling. Not because of fame, but because joy is contagious and people recognize it when they see it.

At The Caregiving Corner, we believe caregiving isn’t sustained by strength alone. It’s sustained by moments like this. Moments that remind you who you are outside of responsibility. Moments that let you laugh without earning it first.

If life has felt heavy lately, consider this your reminder. You’re allowed to be playful. You’re allowed to enjoy the ridiculous. And you’re allowed to let joy take the lead every now and then.