“It takes a glacier about a year to move, but eventually it carves out canyons.” Perseve(red)

Since the time of Ancient Greece, a life full of passion was one worth living well. Whether or not the ancients had eulogies at funeral is unclear. However a man’s life might still have been measured on what drove him- the amount of  passion or ‘pathos’ he possessed – that which made him go all in. In other words, what is it that makes us fearless in pursuit of what sets our souls on fire? For me, I have 3 passions God, my family and Neurology in particular working with those who live with Parkinson’s in their lives.

In the last few weeks my love for PD has been fueled as I have traveled north to drop off my niece at college.  I got the opportunity to meet various Parkinson’s advocates like Chris and John from Philadelphia who graciously opened their hearts and their homes to me and my family for an enchanting evening of conversation and entertainment. I also had the great pleasure of meeting two wonderful people Kate and Chris part of a great social media medical community of Health Union who not only have shared their passions with me but granted me an opportunity to continue my passion for writing about the things I love while helping the PD and migraine communities. Plus, I am super excited that my Spanish book on “living beyond PD” (Viviendo más allá del Parkinson) will finally be making its debut in the next 4 weeks. Plus, I am always completely at awe and stoked to be able to come to you in this humble way to share my life with you so as to provide a ray of hope and sunshine because no matter how strong we are we all need to be loved and cared for. We need each other because we all have days when all the digging and struggling only makes us more muddled.

However, as I have fallen many times flat on my face and risen again to fight another day, I have confirmed once again that having and living with a chronic illness like PD does not have to decrease our interest for living, succeeding and dreaming. Life is what you make of it -weather we live with an illness or not have Parkinson’s or something else we all have struggles, hardships, and traumatic events which can propel us forward to a better tomorrow or crush us if we let it.  I have been given the opportunity to travel to South Dakota to do a weekend retreat at an abbey for those who care for someone with Parkinson’s as well as for PD patients which will include exercise classes, and educational classes to teach other the skills of living well beyond their own limitations brought on by the disease.

Please don’t let the shock and pain you are experiencing g today make you numb for the rest of your life. Even if you got nothing left, find your purpose maybe start by reaching out to your neighbor or friend who has less than you. The storm brings forth character, integrity, honesty especially when comfort is removed. The first step in sorting g over or getting back up is up to us. So, don’t wait for others to rescue you first, rather make your first step in improving your situation and others will join in to help. Remember none of us can do it all alone or know it all. But everyone knows something, can contribute something to our lives. So go ahead and start small. Who care how it looks? Ask for help when needed. When I first began this journey I could not even walk had to use a walker then a cane. I needed help to do most activities including dressing myself. This is not a race or a competition but it is about being empowered and finding yourself  as you push through the darkness into the light as you find your purpose, your own passion that will make you defy all the odds and come out victorious. But the driving force can’t be just anything – it has got to be BIG enough, strong enough and powerful enough to propel you forward.

What drives you today to keep moving? Do you have the passion to go all in and fight as if your life depended on it because it does?

sources:

Be Inspi(red): words of Hope and courage 2007 by Hallmark Licensing Inc.

@Copy right  2017; all rights reserved Maria De Leon