Parkinson's as a Spiritual Journey : Finding Forgiveness and Compassion Along the Way

Parkinson's as a Spiritual Journey is a collection of personal stories that describe how the author has found meaning, instead of victimization, in Parkinson's disease. In writing the book, he has also discovered forgiveness and developed compassion for those in the past who have caused him pain. This is a practical book about personal and spiritual healing; it is not a book of miracles. The writer uses a unique format to tell his stories. Each of the 12 chapters has its own epilogue describing how the story relates to his dealing with Parkinson's. Even with a diagnosis of a chronic, life-changing health issue, he demonstrates how it is possible to live a more worthwhile and enjoyable life with adversity. This is not a do-it-yourself book. The author explains how he has incorporated a number of healing modalities in dealing with Parkinson's. His "healing team" includes a spiritual director, an acupuncturist - counselor, a neurologist, a chiropractor, a massage and energy- work therapist, a Lutheran pastor, and his own creative writing. The readings of Parkinson's as a Spiritual Journey will find themselves alternately laughing and crying. In the words of the author, "I wrote these stories with the purpose of writing enjoyable stories. Somewhere along the way a sense of forgiveness for some past hurts began to take place inside, and I noticed a slight reduction in trembling along with a stronger sense of well-being. I began to look at Parkinson's in a different light. The disease became less of an enemy to fight and more of an opportunity to heal myself in other ways." There are over 1,000,000 Parkinson's sufferers in our country with 50,000 to 60,000 new diagnoses annually. Science is doing much to deal with the disease and is making great strides. This unique book is a story of how one person has chosen to incorporate some new healing modalities into medicine, and it tells of how finding forgiveness and compassion within oneself can ease the tension, depression, and bitterness brought on by the diagnosis of a different debilitating disease.