What About Today?

I grew up in a household with an older sister who was a bit of a hypochondriac. Okay, those who knew her will attest that she was more than a bit. I’ve always suspected it was her way of garnering attention that was sympathetic and consoling. Although I lived in that household for only seventeen years (until I went away to college) I still carry with me a reluctance to share how I’m feeling when I’m not feeling well. It’s been a process over the years to learn how to express myself regarding a few aches and pains without sounding to me like my sister. Saying “bless her (his) heart” is a southern way of excusing whatever you throw the way of someone else. So, my sister was a consummate pain in the butt complainer, bless her heart! I’ve learned through this process of coming to grips with what PD does and does not mean that an honest acknowledgement of feelings is a step in the direction of healthy living. Just as pains and aches are not generally permanent or of the same intensity, neither is the need to share with everyone else what is going on. What I’ve learned through this process is that a pain is not a pathway; a limp is not legacy; a tremor is not a territory; and stiffness is not a state of being (although some would argue that last assertion). These are occasional visitors that need acknowledgement, but which are not allowed to be a singular graft that redefines the vine. Whether stiff or spry, limping or leaping, shaking or straight forward, the breath I have today whispers “thank you” for all I’ve had and have that makes this beautiful tapestry I call life. Those “things” are not my possessions, but rather they are those things that possess me, like gratitude, hope, faith, joy, occasional grief, and a sense of abiding love that has me securely enveloped. What a blessing!