“You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.” Richelle E. Goodrich
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher
World Parkinson’s Disease Day is April 11: Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month is the month of April. We commemorate World Parkinson’s Disease Day on the birth date of Dr. Parkinson. James Parkinson was born on April 11, 1755, and died on December 21, 1824.
“Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.” Marie Curie
Naming of the Disease: Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot, considered a pioneering clinician of modern neurology, suggested that James Parkinson’s name be linked to the disease. The paper published by Parkinson was persuasive that his Shaking Palsy represented a new disease. Parkinson’s thoroughness in describing this disorder led others. Dr. Charcot proposed the name “Maladie de Parkinson” (Parkinson’s disease). If you have the time, look over Parkinson’s detailed and descriptive essay, It is freely accessible here.
“What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.” Emil Brunner
Why the Red Tulip? The red tulip has been associated with Parkinson’s awareness since the 1980s. A Dutch tulip grower/designer, who had Parkinson’s, developed a red and white tulip and named it “Dr. James Parkinson.”
“If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today” Nhat Hanh
Face the Fear of Parkinson’s: I recently listened to the Podcast “How To Stop Fear From CONTROLLING Your Life Decisions” (click here to view video). Bryce is living with Parkinson’s, and he presents a powerful message. Yes, Parkinson’s is scary; it has a strange nature in how it attacks us, and we are all a different product of this disease. Thus, it is easy to live a fearful life of this disorder. By contrast, learning as much as possible about Parkinson’s will help you understand the process. Exercising as much as you can will give you a better grip on its progression. It is easy to say, do not turn your back to this disorder; instead, face it up front and focus. Yet, you have much intrinsic strength to face the fear of Parkinson’s; please use this strength. Remember, you are not alone in this journey. Here are some quotes on facing your fears.
“Face your fears and stop allowing the mind to hold you captive.” Mooji
“I will not die an unlived life…I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me…I choose to risk my significance.” Dawna Markova
“When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'” Eleanor Roosevelt
“F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.” Zig Ziglar
“How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.” Judy Blume
Keep Hope Alive in the Presence of Parkinson’s: Maybe it is a wasted breath, but I hope not. Having hope that something is coming soon to help us slow the progression of the disease is a good hope. Having hope that the path you are taking is having a strong influence against your disorder. Together, we can bring hope to the forefront of our battle against Parkinson’s. Hope is like glue, a bonding agent that allows us to assemble our thoughts together, while keeping our fears away, which reinforces the positive aspects of our remaining time to battle on. We can allow access to the vault of our minds and allow others to join in on our fray and contribute to this hope. Staying hopeful is a life-positive feeling, and these positive moments help fuel the fire to not yield to Parkinson’s. Here are a few additional words on hope.
“There is no medicine like hope.” Orison Swett Marden
“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” Orison Swett Marden
“When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope.” Pittacus Lore
“No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible.” George Chakiris
“A strong mind always hopes, and has always cause to hope.” Thomas Carlyle
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” Rainer Maria Rilke
Cover Photo Image by Alex Bennett from Pixabay
Journey with Parkinson's 