Life is as busy as usual and sometimes it is a good idea to sit back and reflect quietly on my own when the opportunity presents itself. I have always tried to practice ‘self-care’ in my working life as a Social Worker and have various ways that I do that. I have mentored students before and I often say to them ‘The time to take a break is the time when you feel you don’t have time!’ That may seem not to make much sense when you first read it – or hear it – but what I mean is this.
We can get carried away with being busy and get into a never-ending cycle of deadlines and expectations, not just of others but of ourselves. As I used to find when I was studying for my degree, when the pressure was on to finish an essay, if I sat and plugged away at it for too long I would get tired, stressed and unable to find the words that I wanted. However, even though I felt under the pump, I would often leave my home and walk from my home round the corner and over the sand dunes to the beach. I would find a log to sit on and just listen to the waves and just sit. I found that doing that and removing myself enabled me to declutter my head and after about 10 minutes return home and finish what I was writing.
Since the arrival of Parkinson’s in my life, I am much more reflective, but also much more focussed. This is in every aspect of my life, both professional and personal. I am much more focussed on knowing what I want and what I need out of life. I had always thought that I would work way beyond the age of 65 years as I enjoyed my job. Not to say that I don’t enjoy my job now, but I have had a change of mindset since my diagnosis. It is more important for me to be with my husband, my children and my grandchildren making memories for them and with them. If it is possible for me to retire early, then I would like to do so.
I also want to make the most of opportunities presented to me. I don’t want to be one of those people who say, ‘when I retire…’ and maybe not get there. So many people never get to take the cruise they have been dreaming of or overseas holiday or mega road trip, or whatever was on their ‘bucket list’ because they waited for a retirement that maybe never came.
The time for ticking things off that ‘bucket list’ is now as far as I am concerned. The UK trip helped to knock a few off, but I intend to have many more memorable experiences yet. We none of us know what is round the corner for our health and it could be that something other than Parkies occurs that is life limiting. If only Parkies were the only thing to deal with. Wouldn’t that be nice!
To say Parkinson’s has changed my life for the better may seem a strange thing to say. I can’t exactly say I am grateful for it so much, but perhaps in a way I am? Here I am contradicting myself! I am grateful that it has given me an appreciation of the people in my life and the experiences I have been able to have. I think before my diagnosis I was perhaps a bit too complacent and didn’t place enough importance on relationships.
Parkinson’s has changed my life and most of the time I think for the better.
I just need to focus on the good things in life now and leave the future to sort itself out.
In the future!
My journey with Parkinsons 