"Fruitcake"

A little of this, a little of that, a splash of rum, ferment, bake. Send to friends. Receive. Yuck. Place in dark closet. Throw in garbage or send to worst enemy. Better yet target practice. So goes the life of a fruitcake. So many jokes have been made about fruitcake that you would think, why didn’t they just throw the recipes out.

In reality though the life of a parkie and a fruitcake are not all that different. Bear with me a minute as I explain.

Some days my life resembles a fruitcake, especially this past month. I have done battle with sciatica and that is the closest thing on the pain threshold as you can get to labor. I started using a walker when needed as well. Even with a walker I ended up flat on my back in the grass outside looking up at God’s beautiful earth. Yes, the Broken Cookie is that PD is ruthless and progressive no matter how I try and deny it. The bright side is that if I hadn’t fallen on my tush I would probably not have laughed, which is most important, and probably would not have taken the time to look at God’s beautiful painted sky that day.... Believe me the self-esteem meter goes up and down with the inclusion of artificial means of mobility. I never thought about this part of Parkinson’s when diagnosed 3.5 years ago. It was a reality check for me. One that hits a sensitive area I am sure for all of us. The slow but sure removal of independence is like a canker sore that gnaws in the background…… Remember what I said about fruitcake, a little of this and a little of that……a walker but indeed a blessing when looked at from a different perspective.

You’ll be aghast at my next thought if you aren’t already. I can find a correlation between every PLWP member and this confection. We are all a unique blend of what makes us who we are. Some are strong willed, others have an incredible spirit, some an amazing gift of compassion, still others the blessed gift of humor and then we have the mixed bag of nuts thrown in for variety. That’s my domain. Nuts. I like to be different. I like being me and knowing that there isn’t another person in the world that is exactly the same. That is what creates individuality.


We may not all like fruitcake. And when I tell you that my sister and I are probably the only two people in the world who look forward to Christmas and Hostess fruitcake you’ll roll on the floor with laughter. But I must say this is the truth. We grew up let me say, rather modestly. Fruitcake in our house was a treat at Christmas and I guess that’s what sis and I will always remember. We enjoyed that mixture of different fruits and nuts. That’s how I look at PLWP. Let’s enjoy each other for who and what we are. Individuals who have come together because of the commonality of Parkinson’s but each of us with a unique set of talents and taste that brings with it the sweetness of friendships that for some of us may last a lifetime.  But like fruitcake you may not like the “nut” and you can pick it out if you like but try not to think of it as something distasteful. (Remember now, I’m the nut here) Just a part of the cake that is different from the rest, not good, not bad but a part you may never like whereas someone else just might scarf down the nuts with gusto.

This was a hard column for me to write to be honest. I wanted to make a strong point without stepping on anyone’s feelings and I hope I was able to accomplish that with humor and warmth. In no way is this column directed at any one person or referenced to any individual other than to myself “the nut”.

I know many of you now and you are the fruit of my battle with Parkinson’s. You are the very best of God’s gifts to me. Each member is a unique blend of offerings that completes my journey in life. The Master of us all has given us His finest fruits in each other. Fruitcake…the bright side of broken cookies.

Joy be with you all my friends,
Carolyn

cmgcmggambino@yahoo.com