I am the elephant in the room. The 300 pound gorilla brought to life via 113 pounds of humanity.

I am the uncomfortable silence. The chupacabra. The boogeyman. That thought that comes to you in the wee hours of the night, the one you shake off and think no, not me, that won’t happen I’m just being irrational.

I am your fear not of death, but of a life lived in the shadow of impossible possibilities.

I am pain, fear, desperation. I am the tears of thousands of hours spent crying.
I am incomprehensible bravery and crushing disappointment. I am anxiety, I am trepidation, I am devil-may-care, I am unstoppable.

I am the return of every sunrise.

I am heartache and hope.
I am resilience and resistance.
I am triumphant trepidation.
I am sadness.
I am loss.
I am joy.
I am the comeback kid.
I am tomorrow’s wish.
I am winning.
I am fighting.

I am Me.

When you look at our bodies and you try to see what it’s gone through, the scars are not visible. However subtle, without a doubt, #ParkinsonsLooksLikeMe

Just because we wear it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy. Just because we wear it well, doesn’t mean that it defines us. Opinion is opinion, and truth…truth looks different on every one of us.

Parkinson’s does not define us.
It’s our response to it that matters.

Fight.
Fight Hard.
Fuck Opinions.
Fuck Parkinson’s!

Win!
Work harder, Work smarter.

Don’t worry about the stares, the pity looks, the people unable to meet your eye. They couldn’t walk a mile in your shoes even if you broke them in first.

Walk tall. Walk proud. Walk on.

I am the elephant in the room- but when I’m done you won’t forget me and I’ll let the Gorilla free of its cage as I go.

Go wild. Show what you’re capable of.

XOXO

-Mel