Moments of grace occur countless times a day; these instances ground us in the present, urging us to say, "There is no where I rather be. I am content." Though fleeting, these moments seem to slow time down - the epitome of a clear-mind, appreciation, inner-peace and presentness. On June 2nd of last year, my grandfather, on my dad's side, passed away from internal bleeding in the brain. My family has fared well, however, my grandmother has become a weight on our family as she deals with the loss of husband. Not only must my dad grieve, but also take the pressure his mother contributes on a daily basis, since she lives with us - a 98 year old woman can be difficult to care for, regardless of a loss! Subsequently, the fire in my dad's eyes falters, his smile is rare and he is quick to anger. My family is abnormally, uniquely and fabulously tight-knit - therefore, if one link has broken, we all hurt. But, to me, that's the supreme example of true love and empathy. Last week, we retreated to a cabin in Truckee in order to find peace and recover from a particularly hectic holiday season with the (textbook-crazy) extended family. After a few hours of setting up, my dad started a game of pool with my sister and I. Minutes in, he started to laugh and joke, literally running around in circles and jokingly screeching, "DO NOT SPEAK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT" to anyone who showed any signs of sarcasm. In that instant, I felt as though I was observing my family from a few feet