Inside Parkinson's

Hope. Let’s talk about hope. It is not something we usually talk about. We say we hope you feel better, we hope you have a better day tomorrow. Hope is an internal feeling that you find in the core of your soul. Hope is a mindset that gives you the ability to face another day. Hope can lift you when you are feeling down or your physical issues are difficult to handle that day. There are times when you need to find hope externally. You need someone to let you know you are strong, you can get through the difficult day or moment.  

I know some people who have little hope. They think Parkinson’s stops you from doing anything fun or being physically active. I’m sure you have heard we are headed for a “dark winter” due to COVID 19. During this time, we must have hope. Hope that the bad days won’t be so bad and that the dark times will turn to light. We must hold onto our hope that yes, we can get through another day. We must hope that the “dark winter” won’t last forever. There will be an end and we will see the light soon.  

When we get down or have difficult days physically, we must look for hope and believe that tomorrow will be better. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you through the dark times. 

The Parkinson’s community is large, and the people are so nice. Reach out to any Parkinson’s group that interests you. The Parkinson’s Support and Wellness website list all the Parkinson’s support groups in the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky areas. There will be people who have first-hand knowledge of what you are going through. They will support, listen, and commiserate with you.

There are also many online activities for people with Parkinson’s. From the Parkinson’s Foundation site:

The Parkinson’s Foundation is dedicated to bringing the Parkinson’s (PD) community virtual educational and wellness programs through PD Health @ Home. As some of us continue social distancing, we do not want members of our community to emotionally isolate, which is why PD Health @ Home provides weekly online events

I’ll leave you with a quote from Thomas Merton who was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion.  His book The Seven Storey Mountain was his account of  spiritual journal.  It is among the National Review’s list of 100 best non-fiction books of the century.