Words with Merle

  In life, we have choices. You can sit back and play victim to your hardships, or you can embrace your challenges and make the best of them. I ask you, which do you choose? Being a martyr is easy but owning to our challenges is proof of your strength of character, your sense of determination, and your willingness to rise despite any hardships. If one judges you, they should re-shape that mindset to admiration. With strength, we introduce our hope, and through hope, we have the determination to champion forward. I could sit and lament my anger toward Parkinson’s, but that drains my hope. That steals the joy of my ability to rise. Like any obstacle we face or encounter, we can let it drain us, or we can grab that obstacle and rise…rise to our fullest possible self, coming out an even greater version than the one before. What has my challenge with Parkinson’s awarded me? I am a better singer with the flexibility to change tempo, rhythm, and key, and can move seamlessly from song to s...