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Every New Year’s Eve, I stay awake until the stroke of midnight. It is a tradition of mine. I use this moment every year to be thankful for the good things that happened in the year, and to set a contract with myself for next year’s goals. This year, while…

According to Boom! cosmetics, founded by the late Cindy Joseph, a science link is said to exist between feeling good inside and having beautiful skin on the outside. Psychodermatology, for example, studies the relationship between the mind and the skin, and a correlation seems to exist between…

The morning is crisp and the ground is frozen by the brutal Michigan winter temperatures. I pile my belongings into the back of my Subaru as I prepare to say my goodbyes, again. In 2020, I spent nearly three months here, the most time I had been at…

I received an email yesterday from my mother-in-law. It had been forwarded to her from a friend of hers. It was missing the attachment, so I don’t know what the email said apart from the five words found in the subject line. They read: “Why I wear two masks.” It…

This holiday season plucked discordant strings of loneliness for me, which resonated off-key because of an overlap with exacerbating Parkinson’s symptoms. We tried the family video chat. Maybe we are too old-fashioned, but the experience left us feeling empty and even lonelier. Mrs. Dr. C had a slight advantage with…

Ever since I can remember, I have loved to write short stories, articles, poems, novels, essays, and more. I entered some of my writing into contests, won a few (mostly in the short stories category), and received a few awards. As a young teenager, I asked my grandmother to read…

I never realized the benefits of music until I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Early in my diagnosis, I met Alexander Pantelyat, MD, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine, who introduced me to both music and dance. Together with boxing and other exercises,…

“What?” I ask from across the room, closing the distance between my dad and me. I don’t want to ask him to repeat himself again. “Can you grab me a glass of water and my pills?” Dad raises his voice, and this time I hear him. I fill a mug…

I do it. You do it. Let’s be honest — we all do it. We make a pretty good attempt at creating a list of new resolutions that we hope will change our lives. Of course, we have to follow through and do them if we expect to see or…

I am seeking the joy in life. It’s difficult with medical setbacks or the off-period surges of pain and emotion. But joy is still available. I know it. I feel it. I’m showing up every day to find it, even during the worst of times. There are times when my…