I once worked as the billing and collections manager for a dental office. While most of the time, it was great, there were those days every month when I had call patients whose accounts were in arrears and ask for payment. They were the calls no one wants to get and could be painful for the patients and for me. Our office manager taught me the best trick ever and I still use it to this day. She taught me that between each call I should take a moment, close my eyes and take a deep, gentle breath to clear my mind and let go of negative energy. Then she proceeded to surround my workspace with little signs that said “Beathe”. It worked.

There are times when I hear unkind words coming out of my mouth and wish that I had followed this simple advice. Parkinson’s Disease is frustrating, for the person who has it and for the people around them. I see changes happening to the one I love and I can’t stop them. There are times when I realize that life for us has changed and it is not for the better, no matter how hard I try to put a positive spin on it all. When those difficult moments hit me, if I can just take the time to catch my breath and refocus my thoughts, I can respond in a much more productive and healthy way for both of us.