I had lunch with a friend recently, someone outside of our PD community. She asked about my husband and then shared some about their struggles with her husband’s diagnosis of leukemia. They are also dealing with a chronic illness that is currently in remission but that could have a much more dire outcome. Listening to her situation reinforces to me that I am not the only one facing a difficult and uncertain future.

We moved on to talk about the other things in our lives, those things that exist outside the confines of our husband’s diagnoses. We started with our children and grandchildren, sharing pictures of them and swapping stories of fun things we have done together. We talked about mutual friends and travel plans we each have. Their plans are a bit more adventuresome than ours, yet we are all heading somewhere in the near future. We ended our time together with the hope that we would all come together again soon, no definite plan but a definite intention.

 Having friends who understand Parkinson’s disease is such a valuable thing for me that I sometimes forget the value of having friends who are outside that circle. We met this couple at a local winery almost a decade ago when my husband’s disease was new and not nearly as invasive. When she and I get together, I can let my role as CarePartner go for a while. Lunching with her reminds me that everyone has struggles and that there are bigger things in life than PD. I come away with a fresh perspective and ready to look, and live, for the good things that are happening in my life each and every day.