When we worry about things that haven’t yet come to pass, we are not able to be present in the current moment nor are we able to fully enjoy the activity that is coming. While some anticipation is normal, there is a huge difference between looking forward to something with excitement or dreading its arrival. If you are caught up in all the things that can go wrong, you will miss out on the things that do go right.

When my husband was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s I was frightened. I thought I knew what to expect based on what I had witnessed thirty years ago when my parents struggled with this same disease. My father developed mental problems early, I wonder now whether it was Lewy Body Dementia, and became wheelchair bound in a very few years. His illness spiraled quickly, is that what we were facing too? No one had yet told me the adage, “If you’ve seen one person with Parkinson’s, you’ve seen one person with Parkinson’s”. I was preparing for the worst.

I could have let the anticipation of that outcome overwhelm me, but instead I opened my heart and mind to the possibilities of a different path. I accepted the diagnosis and started looking for what could be rather than what had been as we started our journey together.

Today, I have learned to let go of worry. Whatever Parkinson’s Disease has in store for us will come whether I worry about it or not. Instead, I am doing my best to encourage and support my husband as we meet and overcome the daily battles. When those new challenges come, we will face them with courage and positive motivation. Living for today, not worrying about tomorrow, and loving all the way, we will make it through.