My husband’s birthday is this week, and we have simple plans to celebrate. We’ll have dinner together at a favorite restaurant, just the two of us. It’ll be lowkey compared to prior years, but it is just what we need now. It doesn’t mean that I am not eternally thankful for each passing day, let alone year, that we get to spend together.

I have mentioned that my father had Parkinson’s Disease. His trajectory was very different and he was only 73 when he died. I was terrified the year my husband turned 73, I felt that we were against the odds and so afraid I would lose him. That was several years ago now and we are still here, stronger than ever in our battle. His symptoms may have increased some, but so has his resolve to fight back. He remains steadfast in his motivation to exercise and it is working.

I can’t know how much longer our journey will last. I also can’t let worrying about that interfere with living fully each day. The months, the years will pass and there may come a time when I am alone. When that happens and I am looking back, I want to know that I spent every moment engaged in our life not thinking about what could go wrong but building positive memories. It will be those wonderful memories that sustain me if, or when, our journey together ends.