Darlene R.
I'm a teacher and there were days when I couldn't write on the board. I couldn't hold a pencil. One of my initial symptoms, that I didn't even realize was related, was anxiety and depression and it came on really quickly… I was 56.
This year I began working with high school aged autistic kids. It’s blast. I love it. I love it. I was really frightened about making the change, trying to reinvent myself especially with the Parkinson's going on, and I do have cognitive issues.
I think that I will be able to continue working. I need to continue working until I'm 62 to have my full vestment in my retirement. My goal had always been to make it to 67, but I'm hoping to make it until I'm 62. You never know.
Five years from now I think I'm going to be seriously looking at putting my house on the market. It's always been hard to keep up with as a single person. It's going to become more difficult with my mobility and the fear of the stairs especially in the wintertime, with the ice, but I plan on waking up and breathing and just finding the beauty in every day.
My passion is just doing anything outside, hiking, kayaking, biking and I love to travel and I just love being around my grandkids.
Looking back I think I would have written a lot more because I kind of put that on the back burner with this terror of losing my physical body and wanting to get out and do as much as I can with outdoor things because I get my spirituality, in nature.
Humor goes a long way, and a positive attitude goes a long way, but let's not pretend it's a load of fun. I think that's what makes us a remarkable group of people. I'm just so honored to be part of this project getting our stories out. I mean, it's healing for everybody.
I'm having a very good day today.
This year I began working with high school aged autistic kids. It’s blast. I love it. I love it. I was really frightened about making the change, trying to reinvent myself especially with the Parkinson's going on, and I do have cognitive issues.
I think that I will be able to continue working. I need to continue working until I'm 62 to have my full vestment in my retirement. My goal had always been to make it to 67, but I'm hoping to make it until I'm 62. You never know.
Five years from now I think I'm going to be seriously looking at putting my house on the market. It's always been hard to keep up with as a single person. It's going to become more difficult with my mobility and the fear of the stairs especially in the wintertime, with the ice, but I plan on waking up and breathing and just finding the beauty in every day.
My passion is just doing anything outside, hiking, kayaking, biking and I love to travel and I just love being around my grandkids.
Looking back I think I would have written a lot more because I kind of put that on the back burner with this terror of losing my physical body and wanting to get out and do as much as I can with outdoor things because I get my spirituality, in nature.
Humor goes a long way, and a positive attitude goes a long way, but let's not pretend it's a load of fun. I think that's what makes us a remarkable group of people. I'm just so honored to be part of this project getting our stories out. I mean, it's healing for everybody.
I'm having a very good day today.