Parkinson's

by Tara Lazar

He walks with purpose and determination, eyes cast firmly in a straight line ahead, yet his body fails to follow. Like a vessel lost at sea, he is pushed and rocked by invisible tides, pitching from side to side. His left arm is held as rigid as a mast, fingers splayed outward, like lines of rigging being tugged and wrestled in an attempt to remain upright. He cannot stop without warning, he needs to gradually slow and fight the momentum. The laughter of the curly-haired girl behind him makes him unexpectedly shift and pivot, her little voice like water, flowing and clear. He reaches out a hand to her, she grabs it, and for a moment, he is steady.

6S

Tara Lazar, author of The "D" Word, encourages you to learn more about Parkinson's at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and Michael J. Fox Foundation. You can find her not-so-anonymously here.