As we headed outside, summer temperatures and a rain-free day meant that none of us had shoes on. Suddenly I channeled John McLane, the lead character in Die Hard, who performed most of the movie with bare feet, including the brutal scene where he walks on broken glass. “Hey!” I shouted to my family. “Take your shoes!”

We clicked instantly. We laughed so much, like the time I sat down to rest against a wall during a beer festival, happily digesting my bratwurst, the now-empty paper plate by my side. A few people walked by me, said something that sounded kind even in German, bent down and threw some coins on my plate. I was puzzled. When Michi returned from getting us some soda (wink), I shared my confusion about what happened. She burst out laughing, gasping out, “They think you’re a bum!”

With a terminal disease, I am living my fullest life while keeping an eye on the not-so-distant future knowing that I won’t see my kids reach adulthood. Can one “cram” mothering?

If you have ever been to my home, you would agree that it could be described as, “There appears to have been a struggle.” I don’t like housework: It’s tedious, it’s never done, and I would rather do literally anything else.