My Parkinson's (Page 1)

Parkinson's: Curse or Blessing

Parkinson’s isn’t pretty.

Have you noticed what it has done to Michael J. Fox?
Not only do I have Michael as a case in point,
there is Billy Graham, Mohammed Ali - and ME!

I wrote this poem as a parody:

I’ve grown accustomed to the shakes;
They always make my day begin ….
I’ve grown accustomed to the pain,
Accustomed to the strain,
The pills, the spills, the doctor bills:
“Are second nature to me now",
”Like getting up, and moving slow";
Although I am less independent
Than I was awhile ago;
At least, I’m up and moving,
And I thought you’d like to know:
I’ve grown accustomed to the slips,
The frozen shoulders, legs and hips,
Accustomed to Parkinson’s!

How does one cope, aside from simply ‘growing accustomed’ to the effects of this disease? It doesn’t help to cry, so I sing my silly song, and laugh about it. I also thank the Lord that He would entrust me with something too big for me to handle on my own. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t enjoy this experience. A trip to Disney World is preferred, but God enables me to pray when I cannot sing, to encourage someone else, even when I need help, too! And when I am weakest, His strength is never-failing. As Lon Woodrum said, “God sometimes gives a grace injection, when what we are asking for is a thorn extraction!”

Parkinson’s is an inconvenience. It ended years of singing across the nation that I never dreamed would happen so quickly. It separated me from dear friends, from New England to California. But for all it has done, there are many things it has not done...