The importance of holding on to hope
A columnist's parents consider making a pilgrimage to the Grotto of Lourdes
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 in a small French town in the Pyrenees, to pray for healing. Since 1858, the region has become famous among Catholics, and it is particularly appealing to the fragile, poor, or sick believer. In the past 166 years, the Catholic Church has recognized 70 medical miracles that have reportedly taken place there, cases that are scientifically impossible to explain.
According to various accounts, Sister Bernadette Moriau had suffered for decades with a debilitating disorder of the nerves and spine that left her with constant pain and paralysis. In 2008, she made the pilgrimage to Lourdes, and after returning home for a few days, where she continued to suffer from pain, she was miraculously healed. In 2018, the Catholic Church declared her healing the 70th official miracle.
When it comes to evaluating bizarre and difficult-to-explain incidents like this one, I’m a bit of a skeptic. My thought process says that just because we don’t know how to explain something doesn’t mean that it can’t be figured out with science and other earthly support. At the same time, I admit that it doesn’t really matter whether or not something can be classified as a miracle if the prospect of health and healing causes us to hope.
My dad has been battling two chronic illnesses for decades. Degeneration from his Parkinson’s disease frames the future with darkness, giving him some sense of the losses he has yet to encounter. As someone who loves him, it’s demoralizing and heartbreaking for me to observe. And, for this reason alone, I think that my parents should go to Lourdes to see if they can carve out a bit of hope for themselves.
The wedding is in October 2025, and my parents are hoping to travel to Lourdes before or afterward. Some of Dad’s biggest symptoms include tremors and dyskinesia, and I know that experiencing any kind of relief would make the disease a little more tolerable. Who knows what Lourdes might do.
Hope is a powerful concoction. Research has shown over and over that hope, along with optimism, seems to cultivate better health and well-being. Having reason to hope also contributes to higher amounts of life satisfaction and purpose. It’s the thing that motivates many of us to get up in the morning and start the day. It’s a vision of something better.
With one grandchild on the way for my mom and dad, and a wedding on the schedule, I think that my whole family has a lot to be grateful for and optimistic about right now. But I also think that adding more reasons to be hopeful is always a good idea.
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
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