The Bright Side — Jamie Askari

I love doing one kind act for a stranger each day. I have done this for as long as I can remember. It was quite a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, though, since I didn’t often encounter strangers in my living room. These small acts of kindness usually take…

I never thought I’d be interested in a support group for Parkinson’s caregivers. When my husband, Arman, was diagnosed, we were both in our late 30s, and I certainly didn’t think I could relate to anyone caring for someone in my parent’s generation. I was also so busy…

I was in line behind a young mother at the grocery store last week. She was probably in her early 40s and had three beautiful children in tow. The line moved slowly, so I was stuck listening to her lengthy cellphone conversation. She was loudly discussing her problems and focusing…

One of my most vivid parenting memories involves my oldest daughter, Alexa, who’s now 27. We lived in Boston then, and I had enrolled her in a preschool program for 3-year-olds. She would be at school twice weekly from 10 a.m. until noon, which worked perfectly with her strict…

There’s a small white church near the entrance to my old neighborhood. I used to drive by it daily. Outside the church was a large sign where meaningful quotes were posted. Over the 20 years I lived in that home, I noted a few that resonated with me. “Worry is…

Until recently, my husband, Arman, and I have been very private about his Parkinson’s diagnosis and our life dealing with the disease. He was diagnosed in 2009 with early-onset Parkinson’s at age 38. Before I started writing this column, titled “The Bright Side,” only our closest friends…

Have you ever pondered the question “Who am I?” Personally, I never have. This won’t surprise anyone who knows me, as I’m not the type of person who self-reflects. But I recently started thinking about it as I began researching how identity can change after a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

I truly love writing my column, “The Bright Side.” It has been a great way to chronicle my experiences as a mother, as well as a wife and caregiver to my husband, who has early-onset Parkinson’s disease. When I was hired by Bionews, the parent company…

If I had a time machine, I would travel back to 2009. Like Michael J. Fox in “Back To The Future,” I would jump into that silver DeLorean and go! I would go back to when my husband, Arman, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s…

I’ve never been much of a morning person. I’m usually pretty moody and cranky when I wake up early. Once our kids were old enough to sleep in on the weekends, I’d often enjoy an extended slumber under my own warm covers. Ironically, I’m not much of a night person,…

Every person and family is dealt a deck of cards in their lifetime. Some of them may be in perfect order and the cards in pristine condition without a crease or a bend. Other decks, however, may be worn and weathered, even missing a few cards. We may never know…

About a year or so after my husband, Arman, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, we were attending a party. I remember an acquaintance asking me that night, “Why don’t you ever let loose and have some fun?” At that point, Arman was early in the progression of…