She sits by the window and watches as the ravens prance in the open field, consuming the occasional worm or creature driven to the soil’s surface by the recent deluge from days of rain. Readjusting her position to view another field, Gracie the Golden lets loose a low grade groan as she expresses herself about the goings on outside. Her run in the early morning had been short as she wanted not to miss out on the fresh dish of food she has become accustomed to as waiting for her return inside. Gracie sat eagerly as she peered in through the glass on the door and Sebastian the barn cat rubbed himself gingerly around the porch bench as he “meowed” his desire for a morning morsel as well. Cawing crows, a meowing cat, and a restless retriever are welcomed participants in the celebration of a new morning. Although stiffness is a seemingly constant companion to this reluctant participant in Parkinson’s disease, we find movement and stretching and bending and twisting to accommodate doors, the dog, the dish and the needs of others brings about an unloosing of flexibility. A cloud of otherwise dreaded challenge is lifted by the light of gratitude that arises as we reflect on the opportunities that lie ahead for today’s unraveling of possibilities. Thankful for shelter, people, and other creatures to love, this somewhat stiff but willing participant steps onto the stage of today’s production.
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