If life was easy where would all the adventures be?

I love to cook. Some of my best dishes have come about by having my heart set on a certain something to eat to only to find I didn’t have the right ingredients. So, I had to come up with something that would still encompass the ingredients I did have. I am fortunate enough to be able to work well, even better, under pressure.

Life can be like that. You find yourself with a certain ideal of what you want but inevitably circumstances abound that take your best laid plans and they wreak havoc. We can either get mad, frustrated and shut down or take stock in what we do have to create something even better.

Ultimately, with perseverance, we come to see that what we thought we wanted turns out even better than we imagined. We learn to trust our ingenuity and instinct to overcome the obstacles we face, to overcome and succeed, as best we can.

Never be afraid because life doesn’t come easy. Every difficulty is an opportunity for us to feel our own strength. Learn to trust yourself and your ability to overcome. After all, it is those that can adapt to any situation that survive and prosper.

You can always have an ordinary planned meal, but sometimes you end up with something spectacular, beyond your expectation, that fills you with pride at what you produced because you were willing to step up and look beyond the restrictions set upon you.

May you appreciate your obstacles and grow with them. Enjoy the adventure. 

Like Minds

It has been my discovery that most people want to help. There is an innate need for people to do something good. Frequently, though, during the mundanity of our lives we get caught up in the minutia of daily living and are left feeling that there is nothing we can do. We are busy just trying to get through the day in order to get to bed and do it all over again the next day.

Unless a tragedy occurs: loss of a life; new diagnosis of an illness of themselves, or a loved one; a sudden accident, it’s finally pause enough to make one stop and think about what has true value in their life. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, as we get older there are more and more people that have faced or are facing a trying circumstance.

This is what it took for us. My husband’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease made us have to reflect on what is truly important. We were so busy consuming, as is the custom in the U.S., placing worth in the things we could acquire, we didn’t fully appreciate those things of true value to us.

It is my opinion that this is the reason behind the need for anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, struggles with addiction, stress – we are lost in a capitalistic world where the things we idolize, the things we buy to fill us up, still leave us empty, questioning what we are living for. This leaves us disconnected, wandering lost with no since of purpose.

Maybe this is why the response we are getting is so overwhelming. Complete strangers going out of their way to offer kind words and help in any way they can. Through our mutual struggles we have made a connection. It is overwhelming, the amount of generosity we have encountered, because it has been so unexpected.

Living and struggling alone for so many years, caught up in our own lives, this sense of union, of everyone doing their part for a greater good is refreshing. Through Parkinson’s we have found our purpose and found people who share the need to do something, anything, to make sense of it all.

One of our greatest advocates has been Mark Burek from New York. Diagnosed 4 years ago, Mark has done his own cross-country treks and made many connections along the way. Selflessly, he has not only offered support and advice but has also gone out of his way to share those connections and promote our cause – one that we both share.

Medtronic, the company that makes the device(s) that made Roy’s DBS possible. We have never met such a genuinely caring company. In the OR throughout his surgery, they have gone out of their way to since to make sure he is doing well. Excited about or endeavor, they too, have networked to share contacts to ensure our ride is a success. This is a national company, the personal attention they have given us is above and beyond any normal interaction, especially in a society such as our own. We bought their product, we should be done. Instead we find ourselves with new friends, again working toward a common goal of helping others with Parkinson’s disease.

We have received support from people across the nation. An artist in LA, also diagnosed with PD, with whom we are collaborating with his artwork and inspirational quotes to offer encouragement to others through sage words and beauty. A doctor in Tucson, offering us their gym to have a large event, to speak and share hope with their members. A KOA owner in Washington state promising a bowl of hot stew as we pass through. Myriad notes of encouragement.

The list goes on and on and we find ourselves humbled.  This devastating disease has left us with purpose and offered a connection to others we never fully understood. It feels good to be able to help others and it feels good to receive help we never expected.

After many years of feeling misunderstood or alone, it is amazing this restored faith in humanity. It has been my discovery through PD that there are people who do just want to be good and help others. Although we have may have many years of struggles ahead of us, if we set out to be the best we can, to help others with their own diagnosis, there, in turn, will always be those that will turn around and help us.

Do not wait for a calamity to make that connection. Today there is someone less fortunate than you. By opening our minds to see what we can contribute to others, it allows that energy to be shared and you notice how many people are out there to help you. Like minds doing like things for a common purpose. Together we can make that difference.

A New Journey

Well, here I am apparently about to start a new journey. I’m not talking about our 4,500 mile cross country trek, rather everything that comes along with it. Since we have started I have been doing things that I always left for others; solicitation calls, bills, marketing myself (us), facebooking and now blogging. Although all the other things are essentially things I could always have done and just chose not to, this blogging is the scariest one.

For years I’ve known I should be a writer if only to let out all the clutter locked in my head. Some say I am even a pretty decent one (we’ll let you be the judge) but for whatever reason it has always been fear that has kept me from actually embracing this craft. Fear of what, I’m not sure exactly, but gut tells me it is fear to truly know myself.  

You see, I come from a pretty frightful childhood and although I pretend it is not so, deep down I have low-self esteem and feel unworthy. My children saved me in so many ways, gave me a purpose and I was finally good at something, but as they grew older they surpassed me on so many levels, that that bad feeling inside grew stronger. They are beautiful girls, strong, funny, smart and independent and I am very proud of them but every mistake I ever made with them eats me like a cancer. Now that they have grown and left the house I find myself wandering, lost and scared about who I am and where I go from here. Facing an uncertain future with my husband who has a debilitating neurological disease hasn’t helped.

It has been a struggle. Who am I now? That person, alone in my struggles I always felt I was? Or someone who has grown and now faces new troubles. Plighted to suffer forever, or someone who has conquered, and although reverted to those old fears on occasion, someone who is strong enough to take on these new challenges? Obviously, I prefer the latter (minus the struggles, of course) but strength has become the word I choose to focus on.

I am not religious but would consider myself spiritual. For ease of understanding, I use the term God – even though my inner self says “Universe”. For practical purposes I will use God and they say “God will not give you more than one can handle”.  If we take that for truth then I am prepared for this journey of Parkinson’s because to date I have dealt with a lot. Child abuse, alcoholism, homelessness, raising two girls, surgery, the list goes on.

However, life continues and it is a blessing. As I write this I realize I am not the only one that has ever faced challenges. Hell, my husband is the one with the degenerative neurological disease, not me. Putting things into perspective, as I choose to continue on, my only resort is to embrace the life I have now.

Embracing means I must write. I must write about my own past (to clear my own conscience – to focus) and I must write about what I (we) are doing NOW! There is a quote by Robert Holden “Sometimes in order to be happy in the present moment, you have to be willing to give up hope of a better past”. This is me in a nutshell. I always felt I was cheated in life, each and every new obstacle weighs on me heavily, but ultimately what I choose to do in the here and now is my choice.

I do not want to be a victim of circumstances, as I’m sure my husband doesn’t want to either, nor anyone else given the opportunity. That is why I am embracing this challenge TODAY.

I must blog in order to help reach people to support our cause. I must write to help people understand that they are not alone. We all face the same struggles – regardless of the details of which. I have the opportunity, NOW, to bow down and say “No, I can’t do this” or step up and face my fears to help others in their own struggle and know they are not alone.

Again, I choose the latter. If we separate in our oneness, we are, in fact, alone. Should we choose to branch out and realize we are not unique in our effort, we realize that we are one TOGETHER. I truly believe in my heart we can create a force for the greater good. Another expression (sorry) “Be the change you want to see in the world”. I believe this is my opportunity to be that change.

Truth be told, this is a scary journey. My children are now off on their own and my husband and I are left selling everything we own to do this 4,500 mile cross-country trek without knowledge of what we’ll do when we get back. It is daunting feeling. The positive side, we have already met so many inspiring and hopeful people, our options are limitless.

So, here I am on this new journey. In order for our ride to be successful I must override my innate fears. Bloggers are an entire community among their own. The more people I (we) can reach – by writing - the better chance of success at a positive outcome of our endeavor. Therefore, I humbly swallow my fears, try to overcome them so that I may write to keep up with the technology of today and promote our cause.

I respectfully request that you follow us. If you have tips, hints, ideas, recommendations please share them. Of course, we will always ask that you sponsor our endeavor with a donation – it must be done – at PDChallenge.com. In the meantime, I will conquer my fears and continue writing about my own journey as well as this ride that we’re on.

Peace be with you,

Lynn Roden