I really like Thanksgiving. I like bringing both sides of my family together to celebrate. We had a total of 23 people in my little home. It was cozy.
Thanksgiving is a special time to reflect on all I’m grateful for: all the love, my family, sweet support, special moments, friends to share with, nature’s beauty, huge hugs, the sweet, slow, sensation of a hip roll, a well stocked fridge with nutritious food, my teachers, and the list goes on and on.
I think some teachers teach, ‘it’s good to be grateful for everything’. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . . . . . grateful for a degenerative disease? I don’t think so. That’s a little tough for me.
I can express this – I’m grateful for the lifestyle changes I’ve made due to receiving a Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis. I get out of the house a lot (compared to living like a hermit last year). I accept almost every invitation extended. I exercise daily. I research ways to be my healthiest. I’m writing again. I lessened my workload.
This all feels good and right. I’m headed in the right direction.
I experience life with love and gratitude for what my body can do. I’m taking one day, one moment at a time. My plan is to stabilize or get better. That’s my story, I’m sticking to it.
Now, let me introduce you to another voice in my head:
I desire to always experience life with love and gratitude, but what if the disease gets a lot worse? How will I deal/cope then? Will I be emotionally strong? Will I be isolated from friends? Will I find joy? What will my daily life look like? I’m curious, very curious. Wouldn’t you be curious?
Again, I remind myself, I live in the present . . .
I experience life with love and gratitude for what my body can do today.
