What Can You Give?

God said, "Go!" Posy’s child is unwell. Very unwell. She has been for a long time. Sadly, she lives 4,000 miles away and is on her own. Posy prays constantly for her daughter. She finally got her answer: "GO! Stay with her and just be with her." Having told her daughter of her plan to come and stay with her, Posy heard her sound excited for the first time in years.

How can she help?

How can fragile Posy, who lives with Parkinson's disease, help her daughter? Does she have anything to give?

While Posy is there, they will do nothing much other than take one step at a time, learning to cope with life and hope one day to flourish again, while dealing with an awful situation. They will be together.

Sadly, Posy cannot afford for both her husband and herself to go for an extended stay. However, by herself, Posy can sleep on her daughter’s sofa and they will be content just doing nothing much. (She has a piano, so she can practice! And Spring in North Florida ain’t bad!)

Plagued by her shortcomings

Posy no longer has a driver’s license since admitting to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that her Parkinson's medication made her sleepy. Posy is not very practical or physically strong. And she hardly has any spare cash.

Honestly, Posy has tried to cook, but she has no interest in it, especially since she can’t lift saucepans or other heavy objects. She cooked basic meals for her father, but he had a nursery palate (as does our Posy.) Minced beef with veg can be transformed into a simple curry, or cottage pie. Her father needed potatoes with everything. He ate tiny portions (probably this was why he reached 96!) and would always be happy with an egg and a slice of toast.

Luckily Posy’s husband is a brilliant cook. Unluckily, this makes her ineptitude in the kitchen seem even worse! Poor Posy has set her sleeves on fire a few times and then dropped the cooked steaks on the floor. She has burnt her hands numerous times and gone on to perform with bandaged fingers. Her husband worries she will set the kitchen on fire!

Trying to look on the brightside

In spite of Posy’s pathetic relationship with food and cooking, she is hoping that she and her daughter can have a few giggles trying to slap together interesting, healthy pasta salads. (Posy is a master of mixing sweetcorn with mayo!) She just prays that ready cooked salmon and chicken are readily available?

Posy’s interest in medicine makes her a keen amateur diagnostician. Add in her empathy, and she has a deep understanding of how her daughter feels. Although, she must resist the temptation to interfere with or question the neurologist’s prescribed program. No one welcomes an armchair Dr. House!

Posy can encourage her daughter to attend all her appointments, and she hopes that she can bring her presence, empathy, encouragement, determination, sense of humor, faith, and love to the table.

Give your heart

Posy and her daughter will try to get over the lethargy and apathy that plague them both in order to use their better moments productively, to summon up the willpower to exercise, and to recognize and appreciate any golden moments.

Mostly, they will give thanks for being able to be together at last. Never forget, just being you, just as you are, is sometimes the best gift you can give!