Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s was a wake up call to never waste a day and to prioritise spending time with family

How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

This was an interesting exercise. I was answering a question that popped up on WordPress, not realising that it would come up as a post. A number of people have liked the post and it is good to see that many identify with this sentiment.

I think when life is humming along and you are busy with work, your partner and your own life and responsibilities it is easy to put off other things. There seems to be all the time in the world to be with people you care about and so there may not be any sense of urgency to do so.

With the diagnosis, it brought home to me that I might possibly have less quality time with family than I envisaged. That I needed to make memories with them to ensure that they would know that they were loved by me and how important they all are in my life.

Parkinson’s gifted me a moment in time on the day of diagnosis to stop, think and say ‘What or who is important in my life?’ The answer is simple the who is my family and the what is spending time with them. 

With the arrival of Parkinson’s my priorities certainly changed. I had thought that I would work well past the retirement age of 65. Now, I am not so sure. I think it is likely that I will want to take the opportunity to retire at 65, so that I can use whatever time is gifted to me spending time with my husband and my family. That is worth more than any job. It is worth more than money. It is worth more than status. 

It is everything.