So much wisdom in those words. I overthink everything and create barriers where they don’t really exist. My “what if” column never includes what if everything goes well? I look at the challenges in an activity and let them guide my decisions instead of looking at the opportunities. Life is tough as a CarePartner and it’s going to be tough regardless of whether we’re at home or out and about. Wouldn’t it be better to have some fun along the way rather than hibernate because of imagined problems?

My husband has always been a can-do kind of guy. From day one of his diagnosis he always focused on what he can do, not worried about what he can’t. I, on the other hand, am the doomsayer in the relationship. In an abundance of caution I try to make sure that everything we do is safe. Life brings risks, especially when dealing with a PD diagnosis, and I can’t eliminate all of them. That doesn’t mean we have to stop doing everything we enjoy.

It may be time to shift my perspective. When I am considering an activity that seems too challenging, I will step back and remind myself that difficult is not the same as impossible. Is this something we both want to do and will we enjoy it? If the answer is yes then I move forward to figuring out what I need to do to make it happen. Life goes on and we get to participate, not sit at home and wonder what if.