11. What will be, will be

The upside of not working is that I was able to travel to Virginia for my niece’s wedding without having to beg for time off. Most of my extended family was coming from Texas; a few relatives who were scattered elsewhere in colleges or careers were also expected. My own sons were coming from Tennessee, and it was that weekend that I intended to share the news with them about my diagnosis. No one else who was there – except my parents – had been told.
Among the guests was one of our former Dallas neighbors, a woman my sister’s age, who had married a man five years younger – which meant that he and I were both 49 that year. Though he and I had never met, I was aware that he has Parkinson’s, and, of course, my interest was peaked. I was able to observe him that Saturday evening. Although his movements seemed to require some extra determination, I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t known he had PD. Frankly, I was relieved to find that he seemed as “normal” as the next guy.

It was a fabulous weekend and I maintained my secret until mid-day on Sunday when it was almost time for my sons to depart. Before letting them get away, I needed to tell them my news. The three of us went to a nearby McDonald’s and, over lunch, we talked about the weekend: how much fun we’d had and the people we had met.
Looking for a segue, I asked if they had met my childhood neighbor and her husband, John. “Yes,” they assured me, with one adding, “He’s quite a bit older than she is, isn’t he?” as his brother nodded in agreement.
“No,” I said, explaining the actual age difference between them; then adding, “He has Parkinson’s Disease.” And, before they could comment further: “And so do I.”
Now I know how to get my sons’ attention! At first they just sat there; stunned, I suppose, by the “bomb” I’d just dropped on them. At a loss for other words, they each said, “I’m sorry,” and, of course, they wanted to know what the future would hold (for each of us, I’m sure). …I didn’t say it then, but, looking back, the answer should have been obvious: “Que sera, sera.”