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In my talk about HOPE: I say... "I tried explaining how I felt to a young friend who also has Parkinson’s. When I suggested he help us in our advocacy efforts, he told me he had only been diagnosed for three years and he could “handle” having Parkinson’s right now and didn’t want to think about the future. I was speechless. How can we not think about the future? We must think about the future! We must “handle” it now so we don’t have to handle it later. That experience was poles apart from a doctor who called me a few years ago and was depressed because he had to give up his practice. After Joe and I talked with him, he proceeded to immerse himself in the stem cell issue. Like the caterpillar who once thought life was over, he has become a butterfly. Not only has he become a superb and knowledgeable advocate, but he has re-involved himself in the medical field and even has his own stem cell lab. The physician, philosopher and theologian, Albert Schweitzer was quoted as saying, “At times, our own light goes out, and is rekindled by a spark from another person.” Being the spark that lit this fireball is one of the greatest achievements of my life! " (So, Peggy, you are right about never knowing who may be the spark that stimulates someone to action...and you are right in there... in fact, as I did in this presentation, I have often used the story that you shared with us a number of years ago to make the point below) "When we were in Washington at a state coordinators meeting for The Parkinson Action Network (PAN), the national voice of advocacy for Parkinson’s, a friend told us of her experience with an airport attendant on her way to attend the Forum. Being pushed in a wheelchair and barely able to move at the time, Peggy underwent the “pat-down” with dignity, but with difficulty. As Peggy attempted to gather her things together, the attendant told her “I hope wherever you are going, it’s worth it.” Technology has put the potential to cure or control so many diseases within our grasp. Since we are not scientists or politicians, advocacy is the one thing that we can do to give ourselves and future generations hope. Isn't it better to fight this disease rather than just treat the symptoms? There is no question in my mind or Peggy’s that IT IS WORTH IT! WHY? Because… as Martin Luther King, Jr. said... "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” and it matters too much to be silent on issues so monumentally important to the health and well being of humankind. Nina "Circumstances determine our lives, but we shape our lives by what we make of our circumstances." On Nov 10, 2007, at 7:38 AM, Peggy Willocks wrote: > Joan Snyder, no list of heroes would be complete without your > name. I often > read here to keep up with you and great people like Joe & Nina, but > seldom > post. I am glad to see you still active in PD advocacy. (and > thanks to Ray > who keeps us current through her posts). > > I have probably never told you this, but you were my inspiration to > get > involved in advocacy in the Parkinson community. I met you through > dearest > Brenda Tucker when PLWP was just starting up. I will bet you do > not even > remember our first meeting. I had been diagnosed about 4 years and > had just > gone on disability. Life did not seem to hold much of a future for > me back > then. But my how things have changed since that day! > > I journaled online for nearly 5 years. I would like to share my > entry on > the day we met; we were at Bren's house in Tennessee, and you were > on your > way to Morganton, NC to help build a Habitant for Humanity house. > Here is > my journal entry below: God bless you! > > Journal entry for Peggy June, 2000 > "I don't believe in predestination. That is, I don't believe that > every > little event of life is predetermined by the Great Creator. But > even He said > that we are "predestined according to the plan of him who works out > everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" (Ephesians > 1:11). I > do believe that there is a "plan" for each person . . . how one > travels from > point A to point B is up to individual. > > I crossed one of my pathways today. According to the free choice > delegated a > person, I could have chosen not to go down this pathway. But a > believer or > not, it cannot be denied that the events of the past few days are > far too > coincidental to not have been part of my "predetermined" plan. Our > plan is > revealed by the many opportunities afforded us in life. I call them > those > "open windows." If I go through one of those open windows and it's > part of > my predetermined plan, things really start clicking. Today, it became > evident that I was headed down the right road. > > I had talked with Bren on several occasions through my journaling > efforts > with PLWP. Joan was also a journalist here, and I was keeping up > with her > story online. The e-mail from Bren arrived. Bren and I discovered > that we > were living only a 2-hour drive apart from each other. Joan and > family were > going to be passing through, and Bren invited me to join her in the > meeting > of these fellow PLWP's. That's when things started clicking. > > Everything fell into place, and the three of us met at Bren's. I > arrived > several hours before Joan, which gave Bren and me the chance to get > to know > each other. We sat in the sunshine of her beautiful back yard > enjoying the > picturesque view and chatting away as if we were high school > buddies. We > laughed, and we cried. The highlight of the day, however, came when > Bren > connected with her PLWP friend. Bren "talked" her right to her > driveway via > Joan's cell phone. > > "She's here!" yelled Bren as I washed up from cutting onions and > tomatoes > for our cookout. My heart thumped into my throat. I sprinted (as > well as one > can sprint with a cane!) to the front porch to see hugs and > handshakes being > exchanged. > > Then I heard Joan's sweet voice ask, "Where's Peg?" Our eyes > connected and > we meshed into our outstretched welcomes. I think we must have > stood in that > driveway hugging for at least 30 seconds - a long time for total > strangers. > But people with Parkinson's can never be "total strangers." You > could feel > the energy in that hug flowing into a common bond that would last a > lifetime. > > We ate grilled hamburgers, talked about our journey with > Parkinson's, and > dreamed about our futures. At one point we were all sitting on the > sofa in > Bren's living room looking at Joan's scrapbook and all that she has > accomplished with PD awareness. > > I stepped back and became a spectator, watching three women who > should be > out playing tennis, taking long hiking trips, or be running > endlessly in > wide-open fields catching butterflies. Instead, they sit together > on this > sofa, in this way-to-early point in their lives trying to determine > when > their next dose of medicine is due and how they will feel tomorrow > because > they're overdoing it today. > > Their paths have crossed for a reason - to do everything possible > to promote > PD awareness - before their children or their children's children > suffer the > same fate. Did I say "fate?" I don't believe in predestination, but > I do > believe in friendships made in heaven . . . and I do believe in > predetermined windows of opportunity being offered. I'm so glad > that Bren, > Peggy, and Joan stepped through this window. And someone, somewhere > in time > will be glad for it, too." Peggy > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn