Thankful for Parkinson’s? Yep, and here are 5 new reasons why

Last year at this time, I posted five reasons I’m thankful I have Parkinson’s disease. Finding them required a spoonful of creativity and a bucketful of optimism.

This year, I super-challenged myself to come up with five more. 

A tall order? Yes, but in my experience, putting gratitude front and center helps me focus on the positives, the gifts, the people, the blessings that I sometimes take for granted. That’s a good reason to continue the list.

Of course, this challenge comes after another year in which Parkinson’s rudely has made itself tougher to manage, and the symptoms have progressed in a most inconsiderate manner. (I can be grateful for Parkinson’s, but I don’t have to be polite to it.) 

Some days are good, others are “stinky dog,” to borrow a phrase from a friend. Sometimes the medications work, other times they are off.

My optimism endures regular pushback. 

Last year’s five reasons were tough enough to find, and any low-hanging fruit is gone. To double the list of reasons that I’m thankful for Parkinson’s disease required some deep thought about what’s going well – and not so well – in my life. But I have met the challenge! Read on.

As a reminder, here are the 5 from last year

Having Parkinson’s disease:

• teaches me empathy for others who suffer
• has led me to interesting people and a vibrant community
• provides an opportunity to try new things
• allows me to help others with the disease
• helps me value my mortal existence, what I have left of it

And now, reasons 6-10

I’m thankful I have Parkinson’s disease because…

6.  Having PD helps me develop a stronger sense of hope.

Let’s face it. Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease. It’s a one-way street to worse. You don’t get better from it, and there’s no cure. 

It’s unlikely I’ll ever be free of Parkinson’s. But I can hope for more effective treatments. I can hope for improved diagnoses so if a grandchild sees signs of PD someday, the disease can be stopped in its tracks. Hope is a powerful companion to gratitude.

7. Having PD changed my priorities.

Shortly after my diagnosis, I noticed certain parts of my life were becoming more important, while others now carried less weight. So I reorganized some things. I dropped hours at work. I began journaling again. I paid more attention to what I ate. I studied scriptures. I reached out to extended family.  

The problem now is choosing which of these priorities to focus most on. I still have only 24 hours in a day!

8.   Having PD encourages me to educate others about the disease.

9.  Having PD forces me to slow down.

By nature I am a busybody. There are days I put bees and beavers to shame. From the time I was little, my mom was always telling me to slow down. 

Well, Mom, I couldn’t do it on my own, so Parkinson’s is doing it for me. Bradykinesia (slowness of movement) is a major symptom, and I’m feeling it. All that busyness isn’t good for you anyway. It’s important to stop and smell the roses. Oh wait. Not easy when people with PD lose their sense of smell!

10  Having PD brings my blessings into focus. 

While Parkinson’s disease is, as Michael J. Fox says, “a disaster,” I gratefully recognize what I do have and what I can do.

I have many loving and supportive family members, including a husband already proving that he intends to be a devoted care partner for the long haul.

Beyond the richness of family relations, I have a living space that provides creature comforts, a church community, access to medical care, and loyal friends.

There’s always someone worse off than me. It’s useless to compare, but when I’m feeling like I drew the short stick in life, I know I’m in the company of many good people who don’t deserve what they got.  

And a bonus reason …

Exercise is a crucial therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease. As an unshakable hiker, I acknowledge that living with PD has increasingly brought me outdoors for beautiful hikes throughout the country and beyond. I’ve also tried new types of exercise, like boxing, tai chi, and yoga, and some have stuck. 

I’m grateful for the extra push to stay fit.

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What’s on your mind during this season of thankfulness? Drop a thought in the comments.