Privileged to be part of this amazing community
Good morning friends and Parkinson's family
Some of us may have recently experienced something in our lives that may have turned our whole lives upside down.
Maybe we have recently received a diagnosis of Parkinson's, or maybe we have experienced a natural disaster.
Throughout these unwelcome and unexpected events, there have been moments of agony, despair, regret, guilt, fear and anger thrust upon us intermingled with surprising moments of wonder, gratitude, joy, relief, amusement and hope. I am often completely struck by the fact that the extremes of ups can surface alongside the extremes of downs and appear to fit so perfectly.
As the waters crept relentlessly towards unheard of levels in our community recently, I cannot imagine the depth of fear that flooded in for those who were forced to muster all of their strength and resources to make their way, in the darkest of nights, onto rooves, to huddle in the salvo of rain, achingly waiting to be rescued.
The pure relief, the ectasy, the utter love and heartfelt gratitude as sometimes strangers arrived in boats reaching out helping hands and hearts is also hard to imagine. While a diagnosis of PD is not life threatening, it still brings a sense fear, uncertainty and feelings of enormous loss and I know, even 15 years after diagnosis , I can still find myself grieving for what I have lost.
Alongside diagnosis there also came an enormous sense of relief, once I learned the symptoms were not the health issues initially diagnosed by my GP.
As the new correct treatments kicked in, tho it may seem hard to believe, I was so happy to finally be on the right track. Once the floodwaters receded, exposing enormous destruction , the monumental upheaval to lives has forced even strong minds to face such uncertainty that some are, in fact, in danger of crumbling.
It is the kindness of strangers that continues to lift, support and carry the flood victims out of the mire. Similarly, since diagnosis, I have so often been amazed at the heartfelt support proffered by many. Many of us are fiercely independent and find it difficult and, at times humbling, to accept help, whether we have a chronic illness or are facing a crisis. It is not sympathy we seek.
As time goes on, both flood victims and those with a chronic illness are forced to accept our sometimes confronting reality, one where our life's plan has indeed been washed away and the uncertain path we now view has been altered dramatically. In both cases, I am in absolute awe of how adaptable and how resourceful are those who face these obstacles and draw deep within to mobilize the strength to carry themselves beyond previously uncrossed limits.
For a long time now, I consider I have been privileged to know many who, every day, yes, every day, make the choice to join the world by drawing on an inner strength that has continued to build as they have battled their chronic illness. They are standing next to you and see your new battle to come through this natural disaster . They are urging you on. They see an inner strength in you, which you may not even know you have. As time draws on, it is easy to start to focus on all that is wrong with our lives. I find myself, at times, holding my very own 'pity party'.
When this happens, do be kind to yourself. It is all part of the healing process and to be expected. At these times, what works for me is to put aside those negatives and to search for the positives or even merely to acknowledge or remind myself of them. Once I start to do this, I see them everywhere.
They keep flooding in and are hard to stop. I have watched the residents of Lismore and surrounds throughout this horrific event. I feel very privileged to be part of this amazing community. With a massive gaping hole, both physically and emotionally , nerves can be raw and hearts fragile, yet the spirit of this community keeps rising. Your actions are inspirational.
A final thought; J. Aleong says :
"I closed my eyes for a moment and focused on the sun’s warmth. It was a good day. There were many things to think about, but in this moment, I wanted to embrace my surroundings and enjoy them. Sometimes the little things were the best parts of life, and they were always there in front of us, waiting to be noticed."
Keep hunting for the best parts and hold them close.
This may help to set you right way up again.
