Happy Thanksgiving from Journey with Parkinson’s

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” Meister Eckhart

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” John F. Kennedy

It is an understatement to say that 2020 has been a challenging year.
It has been a trying time living with COVID-19, quarantine, social distancing, wearing a mask, and the like.
It has not been easy to transition to teaching online and working at home without face-to-face contact.
It has become, let’s drive there because flying there did not seem like a reasonable and safe option.
It has meant giving up family holidays together because the risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2 to your siblings and relatives was just too high.
However, we make these choices to stay healthy, we follow this new life-style to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus disease, and we make these daily sacrifices to be here for the next family gathering, the next lecture, the next vacation together, and the next day.

Living with Parkinson’s (and being older than 60 years old) places one at increased risk for COVID-19 infection.
Living with Parkinson’s comes with its daily challenges and changes.
Adding up the motor and non-motor symptoms presented to us through this disorder gives one pause as we face this life ahead, as we accept the challenge of living healthy.
Every morning we awake, we take inventory of how we feel, how we are thinking, how we are alive in the backdrop of Parkinson’s.
Know of the changes happening in you. Work hard to stay-the-course regardless of what is changing from within; you can make a difference in you.
Regardless of COVID-19 risk, we decide each day to live positivity, keep working on staying healthy, be persistent in our daily battle against the disorder, stay educated, and be grateful for our own life and the chance to contribute.

Be thankful for what we currently have.
Be grateful for those who help you each day in small and large ways.
Be aware of the one who loves you, and give him/her thanks, recognizing that being with you (sometimes) is not the most straightforward task in their own daily life.
Thank your co-workers (for me, the many students and colleagues) that contribute to your overall wellness and emotional health, and mental strength.
Thank your friends, they make you laugh, and they willingly join your journey.
Thank your family for their unrelenting support and caring, and love. It matters.

Stay healthy, be safe, and don’t ever give up!
Happy Thanksgiving.

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” Ralph Marston

Cover photo image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay