Life is full of Ups and Down.

Life is full of ups and downs with twists and turns

With Parkinson’s we quickly learn

We must fight it without a doubt.

Or we would be on our way out.

So put a smile on your face

Even though we move at a slow pace.

Eventually, we will win this race.

I like the way I live as it unfolds

Never knowing what it may hold.

Parkinson’s comes in and out

There’s no reason for me to pout

So if you see shuffling on my walk

Don’t be afraid to stop and talk.

If I am cornered and want to fight

I will do it, with all my might.

Life has so much flair

Have you ever walked barefooted in the sand

or felt the breeze blowing your hair.

Realizing life has so much flair

Have you walked by honey suckles, 

Smelling the fragrance of their scent.

Life has so many amazing things

Seize the moment.

We never know what tomorrow will bring

When you smile at someone, they smile back at you.

This makes them feel good and you will too.

Enjoying life is what we do,

Give it a try and you will too.

What My Mother Told Me

I remember when I was a child,

I had asthma quite severely

I would ask mom, Why me?

She would say, "Honey, God chose you because he knew you are strong,

You are a fighter and you will get better."

I asked, am I going to die and she said you can't die from asthma. 

I totally believed her until I was an adult. I never worried about dying growing up.

Whenever, I begin feeling sorry for myself, I can hear my mother saying, God chose you because he knew you are strong, you are a fighter and you will get better. 

Whenever you begin to feel down,

Look in the mirror and act like a clown

Go outside and and feel the sun or

turn the music on

Do all three and have some fun.

Join a group and make some friends

You won't regret it in the end.

I won't pretend, this is a hard and long battle that we're in.

It is so important to take care of our body inside and out,

With good nutrition, exercises and with no time to pout.

Always remember there are others worse than you

So work to overcome those Parkinson's Blues.

Parkinson's came in with a roar

I started out doing my morning routine

Sometimes I feel like a canned sardine

Keeping my balance has been a challenge 

So I am doing Tai Chi for balance

I try many exercises to fight this PD

I will not let it overpower me.

Parkinson's came in with a roar

Just like a hurricane coming to shore.

I embrace my life, and weather the storm

I've learned to smile with so much warmth.

Life is so short, I will continue to explore

All avenues until there's a cure.

TCMBB form 3 Single Whip (Tai Chi)

 A wonderful easy exercise to help with balance.

Life Is Precious

Life is so precious and valuable too.

Looking at nature and enjoying the view.

My daily routine of exercising my mind and body

It's so necessary and not a hobby.

Parkinson's disease can be a struggle

I try very hard not to stumble.

In the morning my body is rigid

Sometimes my feet are twisted.

I am thankful for the medicines I take

The rigidness stops as if it has put on it's brake.

My body begins to feel as normal as can be.

I am finally back to being me.

Excellent Story: Jennifer Parkinson's Diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 30

This is a wonderful article~I just had to share~ how you can take charge
of you!

Jennifer Parkinson

An inspirational article in 'Shape' magazine's November issue tells the story of Jennifer Parkinson (her actual name) who first began experiencing the telltale tremors of Parkinson's disease at the age of 30. As the tremors worsened and symptoms grew to include a stiffening body and leg-dragging rigidity, she was ultimately diagnosed with Early-Onset Parkinson's at age 32. Along with the diagnosis, the doctor informed the young mother of two that within 10 years she would be confined to a wheelchair and no longer able to care for either herself or her children. The story describes how, with medication alone, she attempted (unsuccessfully) to hold on to her marriage and her career. Deteriorating symptoms that grew to include increasing fatigue, greater trouble walking, and body freezes ended all that. Facing this grim 'new reality', she finally committed to a certain exercise regime as a possible remedy. Gradually, her painful state of waking each day "almost immobilized" began improving until, "within a year, her symptoms had practically disappeared." The regular exercise program presently finds her (going on 10 years since initial diagnosis) supporting herself and her children as a boxing instructor. Bravo... keep moving! 
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.h.parkinson?fref=ts

Happy times!

Spending happy times with friends,

talking, eating and dancing to boot

It made my evening be such a hoot.

I know in the morning, it will be hard to bend.

Music helps me move like theres nothings wrong

I take nothing for granite and act like I am strong.

Chatting with friends and laughing too

Theres no time for the parkinson's blues.

If only you knew the pain that I endure,

I could sit at home and be just a bore.

I'll take my chances and dance once more.

I thank God for giving me so much joy.

Laughter

When things begin to get me down,

I try my best to turn it around.

I laugh at comedy and some jokes

Sometimes I laugh at silly quotes.

Have you ever heard a roaring laugh?

It is contagous as you will see

All of a sudden, it's happening to me.

So when I begin feeling blue.

Just start laughing at a joke or two.

Each time you laugh you will see,

how much joy you give to thee.

Laughter is the Best Medicine The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”
~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter is good for your health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Laughter
Physical Health Benefits: Boosts immunity Lowers stress hormones Decreases pain Relaxes your muscles Prevents heart disease	Mental Health Benefits: Adds joy and zest to life Eases anxiety and fear Relieves stress Improves mood Enhances resilience	Social Benefits: Strengthens relationships Attracts others to us Enhances teamwork Helps defuse conflict Promotes group bonding

Laughter and humor help you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.
More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

The link between laughter and mental health

• Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.
• Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
• Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The social benefits of humor and laughter

Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment.

Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone

Creating opportunities to laugh

• Watch a funny movie or TV show.
• Go to a comedy club.
• Read the funny pages.
• Seek out funny people.
• Share a good joke or a funny story.
• Check out your bookstore’s humor section.
• Host game night with friends.
• Play with a pet.
• Go to a “laughter yoga” class.
• Goof around with children.
• Do something silly.
• Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play also adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.
Incorporating more humor and play into your daily interactions can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends. Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:

• Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.
• Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.
• Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.
• Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.

Bringing more humor and laughter into your life

Want more laughter in your life? Get a pet…

Most of us have experienced the joy of playing with a furry friend, and pets are a rewarding way to bring more laughter and joy into your life. But did you know that having a pet is good for your mental and physical health? Studies show that pets can protect you depression, stress, and even heart disease.

Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life.
Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with working out, and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.
Here are some ways to start:

• Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.
• Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When you’re in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.
• When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”
• Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.
• Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”

Developing your sense of humor: Take yourself less seriously

One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all known the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there!
Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life don’t carry an overwhelming sense of either sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary life–giving you the choice to laugh or not.

Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life:

• Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about times when you took yourself too seriously.
• Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you.
• Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun.
• Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your control—particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.
• Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.
• Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Overcome This hold On Me.

I will overcome this hold on me from Parkinson's disease

By slowing it down, knowing there are no guarantees.

With all my strength, I will do everything possible

Please know that I am reliable.

There are some with tremors, and others without.

Some can't talk above a whisper, while other's can shout.

There are so many variables with this disease.

This is a daily struggle for most of us

We learn to be secure which is an added plus.

But at times the depression comes in to roost

If you have doubts and need a boost

I'm here in the friendship booth

I will be your biggest fan

I know you will do the best that you can.

You reached inside and found your drive

I know you will always be able to thrive.

Every now and then we need a little boost, 

All you need is a friend to give you a push.

Facing Challenges

Every challenge we face,
We do it with such grace
Feeling the power inside
It shines with our pride.

There is no time to slumber
We show our strength in numbers.
We exercise our body and mind
Fighting Parkinson's all the time.

We work together to overcome
those awful Parkinson's blues
No longer feeling so lonesome.
Together we are awesome.

So put a smile on your face
We are running a good race
Let's continue to keep the faith.

Thank you for joining in
One day we are going to win.


God Bless!

Alligator !

Another beautiful day.
I did my morning routine.
Now it is time for me to pamper me.

I soaked my feet in epsom salt
and made myself a chocolate malt.

I sit on my lanai,
Watching the ducks swim by.
I see the turtles floating along
Now I sense something is wrong.

I turn to look and what do I see,
The alligator is coming towards me.
He came up to the screen,  
Not causing a scene
I stood quite still
I don't want to be his kill.

He turned around and into the pond he went.
Believe it or not, this has been quite an event.

I'm happy to say
I am here another day.

SNOWBIRDS

I live in Florida, and it is that time of year,
That the snowbirds come to spend the winter here.
The weather tends to be great
But with all of the traffic, 
we constantly have to hit our breaks.

It's nice to see the friendly faces
Now we just can't go to many places.
Unless we make reservations.
We are all excited when they arrive
Our community seems to come alive.

There are so many activities to choose
No time for the Parkinson's blues.
We have drinks on the drive every few weeks
Chat with the snowbirds
and meet the newbies on our street.

So if the cold begins to get to you,
Maybe it's time to be a snowbird too.
















Life is full of wondrous things.

It's Time to do the Parkinson's dance

It's time to do the Parkinson's dance

We could fall but we take a chance.

Let's shake our hands up in the air

As you can see we have such flair.

Our legs are stiff and our feet are heavy.

Luckily, we are feeling unusually steady,

The music stops and we suddenly freeze.

We act likes it's a breeze.

We may look silly, but we 're having fun.

The song has ended and we are done.

Life may not be the party we hoped for,

but while we are here we might as well dance.

- Anonymous