Today is the first Sunday of Lent. For Christians worldwide, Lent – which began on Ash Wednesday – is a period of preparation for the most important part of the church’s year – Easter.
People associate Lent with giving things up (chocolate for example), but it’s also a time for self-reflection. A time to think about what is important to us, how we live our lives, and things we may want to change. And more importantly, it’s a time to start making those changes – no matter how small, step by step, day by day.
Learning to live with Parkinson’s over the last few years, has given me the opportunity for lots of self-reflection and also to focus on what’s important to me. It started with me making a conscious choice to become more resilient, so that I will be able to cope better with whatever challenges I may face in the future (health or otherwise). It definitely hasn’t been easy – change of any sort often brings its own challenges. However, I believe that every tiny step I made in the right direction has led to positive changes in how I live my life with Parkinson’s.
One of the reasons I started writing and sharing my blogs was because I am keen to raise awareness about Parkinson’s. Through my blogs, I’ve been sharing my personal experiences. Parkinson’s affects an estimated 7 to 10 million people worldwide and it affects us all in different ways. One way of raising awareness is through World Parkinson’s Day. Just as Christians worldwide are united in preparing for Easter, the forthcoming World Parkinson’s Day will bring together people with Parkinson’s (and those without) to shine a spotlight on Parkinson’s – with the aim of making a positive difference to the lives of those living with Parkinson’s.
World Parkinson’s Day is on 11 April 2018. #uniteforparkinsons
Living with Parkinson's 