lessons
By: Cathy Garrott
I am one who likes to wear simple accessories. When I was in high school I loved broaches, pins, hair accessories, necklaces, and bracelets. Jewelry was a safe choice if one had to purchase a gift for me. In college I pierced my ears (yup, I did it myself) and earrings were added to my list of accessories. After I moved to Japan (32 years ago) I began to “tone it down” and not wear accessories so much, though I wore earrings almost every day. Bracelets were the first to go – hard to keep out of the dough when you make bread often, and hard to keep out of the dishwater. Necklaces quickly became a thing of the past when I began to break out any time I wore them in the humid summer heat. I took up wearing scarfs instead. I cut my long hair (well, I had it cut – couldn’t do THAT myself successfully), and my hair accessories were put aside. Little by little my accessories were put aside, though I still liked to feel “dressy” and wore broaches and earrings and scarfs.
Several months before I was diagnosed with PD I found I was having trouble putting on my earrings, so, sadly, those joined the “things of the past” items on my dresser. I was angry and frustrated over this turn of events! Then I was diagnosed with PD and realized this was a part of the package that came with PD. This past Christmas I found I was having trouble with putting on certain broaches. I decided it was time to take control of my situation and not sit around and bemoan my losses. I began to think of people who had specifically admired certain of my accessories and began to give those items to those people. Seeing their joy on having been chosen to receive that item has enabled me to be filled with joy as I let it go. I know that they will treasure it and remember me whenever they wear it.
When one has PD there are lots of things that gradually go by the wayside. Learning to let go and live without them is a point of frustration that we learn to deal with, or cause ourselves a lot of misery if we attempt to deny them. But think about it, people without PD have to learn these same things as they age. Loss comes to everyone at some point in our lives. We get to choose how we deal with it. It is a privilege and a lesson we all must learn … with or without PD. Looking at things with this perspective … that it’s not just US having to go through this process of letting go … SHOULD be liberating from the lie that causes us to wallow in self-pity (which causes us more emotional pain). Don’t let this get the best of you! Learn to adjust your thinking and understand that every person has to let things go.