So what I say about Tracy is this: Tracy's big challenge is not having a Parkinson's patient for a husband. It's having me for a husband. I happen to be a Parkinson's patient.
Interpretation
Michael J. Fox emphasizes that the real challenge for his wife Tracy is not his condition, but rather being married to him as a person.
In this quote, Michael J. Fox highlights the idea that relationships involve complexities that go beyond physical conditions or challenges. He suggests that while having Parkinson's is a significant aspect of his life, the emotional and relational dynamics in his marriage with Tracy add layers of difficulty that aren't solely about his health—it's about their partnership and the love they share, which can sometimes be even more challenging than the illness itself.
In practice
In a discussion about the challenges faced by caregivers, this quote can illustrate the emotional aspects of living with a partner who has a chronic illness.
I find as long as I acknowledge the truth of something, then that's it. I know what it is and then I can operate. But if I overestimate the downside of something or the challenge of something and I get too obsessed about the difficulty of it, then I don't leave enough room to be open to the upside, the possibility.
My whole life, meeting people is like a blind date, because I feel like they've already seen the video on me.
There are no moments you have frozen in amber. It's moving, it's changing, so appreciate what's good about right now and be ready for what's next.
There's always failure. And there's always disappointment. And there's always loss. But the secret is learning from the loss, and realizing that none of those holes are vacuums.
Certainly people have a lot tougher situations than I've had to deal with. But I will say we are all dying from the moment we are born. This is not just rehearsal.
I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm an activist, I'm a writer and I'm just a student of the world.
Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open.
Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the House of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing.
A very long time ago, Grandmother had wanted to tell about all the things they did, but no one had bothered to ask. And now she had lost the urge.
Do you ever wonder whether people would like you more or less if they could see inside you?
Marriages come and go, but divorce is forever.
Compassion is a living, breathing, organic emotion that vibrates through you and links you to those around you.
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