The Passing Storm

Yesterday, the sun shone brightly on the fields and forest canopy. Birds flittered carefree from limb to grassy patch to barnyard perch. Gracie, the Golden Retriever pup assumed the role of harvester as she pranced proudly across the lawn with a fresh pair in her jaws. Agnes, the barnyard Pyrenees lopped proudly through her grassy kingdom, plopping abruptly in the shade beneath the white oak tree. Today, the clouds have insinuated themselves between our stretch of earth and the brightly shinning sun giving light to the autumn hues. The rain has pounded down to temporarily soak the thirsty soil as birds and other animals have secured their waiting position. Soon the storm will pass and sun will once again rein with its radiant shower of warmth. Sometimes the storms of disease symptoms appear and drive away the glow of pain tolerant, agile and precise movements. Like the passing storms, experience gives evidence that these sometimes testy symptoms are only temporary visitors to the landscape of otherwise healthy living. I have learned to never take for granted neither the bright sunny day nor the symptom absent moment on the journey. Clouds and rain are a part of earth’s natural replenishing design; neither is the whole of earth’s experience. Fortunately, for most that experience PD symptom expression, those symptoms are not the total of our lives. Maintaining a healthy perspective embraces the reality of the sun and the rain as a part of the life giving cycle. Living well with chronic disease embraces the presence and absence of symptoms, neither defining nor limiting one’s person-hood. Thankfulness for the moments of sunshine gives substance that endures the passing storm.