A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

I like learning, especially from smart people. My wife, Jill, is one of the smartest I know. With that in mind, I wanted her wisdom from the years she spent caring for her father, who had Huntington’s disease (HD) and died in 2011. Following are some of the lessons…

I have previously discussed in this space my wife Jill’s dislike of visiting the doctor. I use the word “dislike,” but she would use the word “hate.” Since Jill was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 2018, I try to go with her to appointments when she asks me to.

I love to read. I developed my affinity for books as a young child, when I would accompany my father on his trips to the library. A joke in my family is that when I die, I want to be buried under a library. That way, my ghost will always…

One of U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s dreams was to send men to the moon and have them return safely to Earth. “We choose to go to the moon,” he told a crowd of about 40,000 people at Rice University’s football stadium in September 1962. “We choose to go…

“Dancing at the Vatican” is a 2019 documentary film created and narrated by Charles Sabine, a former television reporter and foreign correspondent. It shines a spotlight on several families from Latin America who have Huntington’s disease (HD). The film culminates with the families, who are from poor towns in…

In honor of Valentine’s Day last year, I wrote my wife a love letter. I’ve decided this will be a tradition, so following is another one. Dear Jill, Last February, COVID-19 was on the cusp of steamrolling the world. Little did we know that in March, you would become…

Late last year, my wife, Jill, and I challenged ourselves to a 21-day negativity detox. With so much gloom and cynicism in the world, we decided to work on being positive. Jill has Huntington’s disease, and stress makes her symptoms worse. We kept track by placing a dollar…

One positive thing about having a Cuban mother is eating Cuban food. My mom is an excellent cook and, during my childhood, eating traditional Cuban meals — ropa vieja, tostones, picadillo, and rice and beans — was a major highlight. One negative as a child was dealing with her…

Last November, I joined a club. I share this news with the same spirit that Groucho Marx once wrote his resignation letter to the Friar’s Club: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.” I’m referring to the COVID-19 club.

It’s all about the mindset. I suggest caregivers work on developing a positive mindset. It makes life much easier and more joyful. For instance, waiting in line is not fun for me. But I have learned to pray while I wait. What used to be annoying is now positive.