When a Baby Smiles

Despite the anguish, the baby slipped silently into the world.

No announcement. No fanfare. No cheering. Suddenly aware of the light exposing its naked vulnerability, the baby shivered. It was not from the cold or from fear, although the newborn child would have gladly reentered the quiet warmth and safety of the womb, were that possible. The constant, uncontrollable shuddering was part of its personality, buried deep in its DNA. But despite its unfamiliar surroundings and uncertain future, the baby smiled. It felt good to smile, to know that despite the circumstances leading up to its birth it could smile. It chose to smile. And as others noticed that smile, they smiled too. And that made the baby smile all the more.

Such was the birth of this blog one year ago. It was a baby born in some dopamine-deprived moment. Like any other child, there have been moments of laughter, embarrassment and pain. Perhaps because of that, others have provided companionship, reassurance and comfort along the way. Most of all, the baby, and its author, have both kept their smile.

The first person I met with Parkinson's disease reached out her shaky hand and made an astonishing introductory statement. "It is great that you can still smile", she said. To a newly diagnosed person with Parkinson's, that statement sent me reeling. I knew about the Parkinson's mask, but somehow could not imagine losing my smile and all the expressiveness that went with it. At that moment I knew that my job was to maintain my smile as best I could under any circumstances, and in doing so promote a positive attitude to living with Parkinson's disease.

When I started my blog, positivelyparkinsons, I knew that my primary purpose would be to encourage others facing the common foe, sharing my journey in hopes that it would be easier for others to share their journey. I knew writing on a regular basis would provide a creative and cathartic outlet, which it has. But that alone would have been easily accomplished without "going public". The blog provided a commitment to keep, a discipline to maintain.

People who know me know that I enjoy recognizing birthdays, except my own. These annual occasions provide an opportunity to be thankful for the year gone by, celebrate life as it is, and look forward to whatever adventure lay ahead. So in this birthday blog I am reevaluating, looking for constructive feedback, positive or negative. I am certain that this blog can be much better in achieving its purpose. But without constructive criticism I am left to self-evaluation (which is usually of limited assistance, usually being too soft or hard to be reliable).

So, while I am not sure who make up most of the readers of this blog, I am soliciting your response. Do not be afraid of hurting my feelings. I am a lawyer remember. Specifically, I want to know how you think I could improve this blog, help it to better achieve its purpose of communicating encouragement. Tell me what has worked and what has not worked for you. What was your favorite posting? What was your least favorite? What questions do you want answered? Would it be preferable to have more or fewer postings? Would it be better to have postings on an exact schedule (say, every Wednesday and Sunday) rather than just randomly about twice a week? Should there be text and no pictures? Should the postings be shorter or longer?

My baby is one year old. To help it grow, mature and make a difference for some, it will need guidance. To do so you may leave a comment below, or send an e-mail to bkuhn1@gmail.com. Thanks.