Columns

Earlier this month, on Jan. 17, we celebrated the 83rd anniversary of boxer Muhammad Ali’s birth. Ali remains a towering figure worldwide, even years after his death in 2016 at the age of 74. He was a fighter both by occupation and in spirit. He stood up for peace and…

Do you remember those early days when you were newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease? Can you think of anything someone could’ve said to make you feel better? What do you wish they would’ve told you? I was asked this question a couple weeks ago by someone who had recently…

The word “fine” can mean many things, from superb to satisfactory to precise, and even delicate, depending on its usage. Merriam-Webster also lists its synonyms, which include acceptable, decent, middling, and passable. When I look at these words, “fine” seems to cover many conditions. That’s why it’s a handy word…

Happy 2025 to all! Wishing all of you a happy and healthy year ahead. The time has come for the oft-dreaded New Year’s resolutions. The idea is to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new one. I’ve made many resolutions, but the majority of them failed…

One of the many annoying, frustrating, and mysterious symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is micrographia. Micrographia is when your handwriting gets teeny-tiny and illegible over time. Like gait freezing, it’s one of those odd motor symptoms of Parkinson’s in which your mind knows what it wants to…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Botox. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. The best way I can describe my relationship with Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) is love-hate. I love the results, but hate the process.

I’ve always been pretty organized and logical. I like knowing the rules and the “why” behind things. My brain looks for patterns I can rely on to predict or explain everything. Growing up in a family where my dad taught seventh and eighth grade science, I was always encouraged to…

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to doing it? For me, that thing was pottery. I believed it was something I could master, and that it’d fill a creative void in me. I took my first pottery course about 20 years ago with my…

The name of my column is “The Unshakable Optimist,” so you might expect that I’m always happy. That idea would make most of my friends snort with laughter. I’m fun, but I can still get pretty cranky sometimes. I am fundamentally optimistic, but I’m far from a Pollyanna. I…

A few months ago, my mom called me up and asked if I’d be willing to take her and my dad to a holy site in France after my sister’s wedding. Every year, about 4 million people travel from around the world to the Grotto of Lourdes, located…