Doing things differently and doing different things – part 2

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I was never very good at sports, drama or public speaking at school. I was better at other things like maths, languages and science. I also didn’t enjoy the things I wasn’t good at and tended to avoid them when possible even after leaving school. Living with Parkinson’s means…

An A to Z look back at the last decade

Acappella choir – I’ve been singing in an acappella choir led by the brilliant Gitika Partington since 2005. So, well over a decade now. The fact that I have been singing for so long says it all. It’s one of my favourite things. Blogging – I posted my first blog in September 2016. I never…

Moving forward

It’s almost six years since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I’ve come a long way since then. Although my movements may be slower than before (and they may sometimes be jerky), for the most part I felt like I was moving forward. However, when I look back at this year, I feel that I’ve almost…

A helping hand – every small gesture counts

Lessons learned from Parkinson’s, no 6: ‘It’s okay to ask for help. I find it frustrating that I can’t do the things I used to be able to do. I want to do things myself like I used to. I am slowly learning to accept that things have changed. I am fortunate enough to have…

A grateful look back at 2017

I used to keep a gratitude journal and I believe this helped me to become more resilient. Nowadays I only write in my gratitude journal sporadically, but I thought I would share just some of the many things I am grateful for in 2017… I’m grateful for: My family and friends My faith My health…

Is this really me?

Sometimes I used to think to myself “I wish I could be more extrovert or more impulsive or do some of the things I just would never do.” And I now know that these things aren’t impossible. I’m open to trying new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. However, what I’ve come to…

Lessons learned from Parkinson’s – part 2

Life is constantly changing – enjoy every happy moment, keep going through the difficult times – they won’t last forever. Know your priorities and values and choose to focus your energy on them. Let go of all the things which weigh you down, allow yourself to grow, and always move forward, one step at a…

Sharing my Parkinson’s journey through writing

We write for all sorts of different reasons and in many different ways. I don’t do a lot of writing physically by hand nowadays – partly because one of my Parkinson’s symptoms is difficulty writing – and partly because I don’t need to handwrite now, with the existence of electronic devices such as the smartphone….

Summer learning (happened so fast)

I’ve recently returned home from a Greek Island where I spent the week with 60 complete strangers, and we had the opportunity to take courses including creative writing, making mosaics, singing, mindfulness and yoga. Here are some of the lessons I learned… Standing tall… In order to stand tall and grow, we need strong roots….

My Parkinson’s journey – chapter 1

In Oct 2016 it will be 3 years since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At that time, I had very limited knowledge of Parkinson’s – I thought it only affected old people and the only symptom I knew about was a tremor. I’ve always been a fairly reserved, private person, so if you’d have…