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Monday, October 31, 2016

In The Eye of an Unexpected Storm

   I remember when I was a teenager, my parents and grandparents would always advise me to work hard and save lots in my youth so that I can enjoy life when I turn 60.  They would tell me to hold off "enjoying life" and once I am in my 60s, I will have the financial means and time to really enjoy life.  Boy, am I glad I did not heed their advice!  I remember so vividly how I silently disagreed with them for I was thinking what if something bad happens to me in my 60s and I cannot enjoy life the way I want to?  What if life robs me of the chance to fully experience life as I seem fit?  Maybe I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to me late in my life so I disregarded the advice of the grown-ups.  I lived my youthful days to the fullest, enjoying life as I grew older, choosing to live for the moment and enjoyed life with no regrets.  I am so glad I did not listen because at age 50, my unexpected storm came in the form of Parkinson's disease.

   This is why I truly believe every person has to live life in the present, live today like it is your last and to seize each moment of every day.  Of course I am not asking anyone to be irresponsible and to spend unwisely but to enjoy life to the fullest with boundaries and wisdom.  There will be an unexpected storm in all of our lifetime sooner or later which can change the whole trajectory of our future.  So, why wait till retirement age to enjoy your spouse, children, family and the things you want to do in life?  That way when you are in the eye of your storm, you can rest happy that you did not squander the best days of your life and you have lived your life to the fullest.

   But, what do you do when you are in the eye of an unexpected storm?   Often, people respond to bad news with "why me or what did I do to deserve this?"   Just as the death rate for human beings hover at 100% for we will all die someday so is troubles in our lives.  Troubles and bad news are inevitable so we might as well figure out how we can grab a board and start paddling in the midst of any storm.  When we are confronted by bad news or troubles, there are only 2 choices you can make: 1) Give up and sink into the abyss of hopelessness like the Titanic. 2) Start swimming, grab a board and start paddling till you find safe ground.  We may initially be shocked into a comatose state where we cannot function, sink into depression or denial, overcome with feeling of hopelessness or anger.... But as long as we don't reside permanently in this stage, we can gain control of how we can live again and to make choices on how we can survive the bad news.  When PD was thrown into my face at a much-too-young age of 50, I was like "what the heck? Was I just hit by a MAC truck?"  I was riding on the waves of conflicting emotions for several months: denial, sadness, loss, fear, anger, insecurities, stress....... Then, there came a day when I knew I will never let PD rule me and that I will fight this disease with every fiber of my being.  I was angry but I channeled that anger into something positive in my life.  I wrote a song to encourage others and started writing a blog to bring hope to others like me.  I had grabbed my board and started paddling.  Every day is a challenge but I tell myself to keep paddling and kicking the stormy waters.  My board comes in the form of my faith, family and friends for they are the ones who help keep me afloat.  I pray that my blog will touch the lives of many, and help motivate people to start paddling & kicking.  Don't let your storm cloud your precious life because after the storm comes the rainbow.

Enjoy one of my favorite song The Eye of the Storm (turn off music box on top left before clicking on this link)

    

 

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