I wish that I could make all the negative issues go away simply by smiling, but I’ve tried it and it just doesn’t work. What I can do with that smile is take a moment to remember that I am stronger and more resilient than I often give myself credit for and know that I can face whatever comes in my life as a CarePartner.

There were times early on when I wondered what I would do when my husband’s Parkinson’s Disease progressed. How exactly would his diagnosis impact our lives together? How would I cope when my husband needed more care than I felt I could provide? I watched my mother care for my father when he was diagnosed with PD, was I facing the same difficulties and would I have the strength to meet them?

My mother struggled with depression most of her life and so Dad’s diagnosis was just one more burden for her to bear. As I thought about her approach to partnering, I realized that I had a choice to make. I could follow in her steps, or I could try to look at the whole thing differently by using a positive focus and attack it as a new adventure in our journey. If I choose to face the challenges of CarePartnering with hope, love and the knowledge that I can do this, it will be a better outcome for both of us. My husband deserves to be treated with loving kindness and to have the best life possible and so do I. We will face difficult and uncertain times, but if I am strong and thoughtful, I am positive that I can make it through.