People Who Make You Smile #3
Several years ago, Jack called our office. He sounded gruff. Said he had never been to any of our programs and he hoped the one on that day would be good. So did I.
When he arrived, I discovered that he wasn’t gruff at all. Rather, he was quite a lovable person. Over the next several months, I learned that Jack’s career had been as an architect. I asked him which project he was most proud of and he answered that it was the Oklahoma State Capitol dome and the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma where OU plays basketball. Not bad for an architect in Oklahoma.
Jack has Parkinson’s disease (PD). He doesn’t want it any more than anyone else. He and his delightful wife, Susie, struggle with the same adversities of the disease and caregiving that most people do.
But. And there is always a “Big But” in any story of resilience. But…Jack has tried Rock Steady Boxing ®, Dance for PD ®, LOUD Crowd ® for voice and swallow therapy, support groups, educational gatherings and conferences, and other opportunities provided by the Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma. Susie actively seeks out wise counsel, engages in self-care, and excels in caring for Jack.
A few years ago one of our young onset patients offered piano lessons for other people living with PD. Everyone thought it was a great idea…for someone else to do! At age 89, Jack was one of her few takers. After a month or so, I asked Jack one day how piano lessons were going.
“Before I started taking piano,” Jack announced with a mischievous smile, “I couldn’t button my shirt due to Parkinson’s effects on my fine motor skills. Now, I can button my shirt. I can’t play the piano worth a flip, but I can button my shirt!”
And this is one of the reasons Jack makes me smile. On the verge now of 93, Jack keeps going…with flair.
Worth Repeating
A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.
-Denis Waitley
