"Fatherly Advice"

By Kelly Tomlinson



My father was a man of few words. When he had something to say I usually listened. During the stormy seas of late adolescence as I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, he told me I should go out and experience life first before settling down. That way I would have no regrets about missing out on opportunities which came my way or seeing the world before I had the responsibility of a family. At the time I decided he meant to warn me against the pitfalls of a mid life crisis somewhere down the road but the truth of the matter is, those words of advice were really preparing me for living a life with MS.


In view of the fact I had carefully thought about his advice and did experience life before settling down, I do not feel as if I am missing out on anything because of my MS. I have always heard how MS attacks when people are just starting out with the lives they have planned and it upsets the apple cart so to speak.


By the time I was diagnosed with MS at age 30 I'll bet I had crammed 60 years worth of life experiences in during that time period. I was ready to finally settle down. I had climbed those mountains, ran that rat race, chased those dollars and followed the dreams I had. I'm okay now with just being a homebody and enjoying life in the slow lane, sitting on the proverbial front porch in a rocking chair and watching the younger generation embark on their life journeys. You can be certain that I am not giving up on life, but as I prefer to say, I am growing old with MS gracefully.
 

For those folks I read about, such as the mountain climbers, the race car drivers, the talk show hosts, the singers and actors, all of whom are battling MS, I say good job and keep it up. For those of us who are battling MS but are no longer able to do physical activity at that level anymore, I say don't be discouraged and feel you are any less of a person. We may not be as energetic and active as we once were but remember; "The race goes not always to the swift...but to those who keep on running."

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