Don’t treat me different

If there is one thing I would say is important to me is how people see me and how they treat me.

We are in Australia at the moment visiting my oldest brother and my sister in law and her family. We have always got on well and part of that is giving each other cheek. A gentle ribbing and taking the mickey out of each other has always been part of how we are with each other.

I find myself able to talk about my Parkies without it being the focus of all our conversations. When playing a card game with them and with my husband I even use the ‘Parkies excuse’ ie. Be nice to me, I have a ‘condition’. It doesn’t wash and you know I’m glad it doesn’t. Sure my Parkies might make me process things a bit slower, but I neither expect nor want concessions to be made.

Parkies is a permanent passenger in my journey through life. A hitchhiker I didn’t invite along for a ride. I’m stuck with it, but for now it takes a back seat. Long may that continue.

May my family continue to give me cheek. To laugh at my foibles. Because that means our relationship is unchanged.

If my friends and relatives start being too nice to me, I will feel like I must be really sick. I’m not going to be ready for that ever.

So keep on being the same to me, even when things change for me. I may change with time but as much as possible I want the ‘flavour’ of our relationship to stay the same.