Much can change in so small a space—
A presumed future,
Life goals,
Even self-understanding.
I have wondered if those who make diagnoses
Know the power they have
To alter a life’s course when
Hardly a word was spoken.
“You have….”
Every exam room
Should have by its doorway
A list of those who, in that space,
Lose the life they knew,
Commemorating all who have to reveal to
Partners and children,
Parents and friends,
Colleagues and neighbors, the
Permanent interrupter,
Game changer,
Life ender.
After all, these are hallowed spaces,
Where one should walk lightly and
Dwell reverently,
Honing compassion,
Offering comfort,
Gesturing hope,
Invoking grace.
__________
Photo by Mark Rabe on Unsplash
Allan Cole is a professor in The Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin and, by courtesy, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the Dell Medical School. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016, at the age of 48, he serves on the Board of Directors at Power for Parkinson’s, a non-profit organization that provides free exercise, dance, and singing classes for people living with Parkinson’s disease in Central Texas, and globally via instructional videos. He also serves as a Community Advocate for ParkinsonsDisease.net, and as a regular guest contributor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Team Fox Blog, writing columns about living well with Parkinson’s. He is the author or editor of 12 books on a range of topics related to bereavement, anxiety, and spirituality. His latest books, Counseling Persons with Parkinson’s Disease (Oxford University Press) and Discerning the Way: Lessons from Parkinson’s Disease (Cascade), will be published in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @PDWise.