Beautiful New Photos Show Alan Jackson, 64, Walking Daughter Down the Aisle as He Battles Nerve Disease That Affects His Mobility: ‘Forever Thankful’

"I told Connor recently that I hoped we'd have a little girl one day. Obviously, because I'd love it, but mostly because I truly believe a dad is gifted more power and potential to build confidence and dreams and desires into a daughter's life than anyone else. What a responsibility and a privilege," Mattie Jackson continued in her post.

Alan Jackson is enjoying the treasures life has to offer and among them are cherished moments with his family. It is clear family comes first in the Jackson household. He shared an Instagram photo of himself hugging his wife Denise, and all their daughters Mattie, Alexandra, and Dani Grace.

Supportive fans doused the "Livin' on Love" singer with tons of heart emojis and Happy Father's Day wishes through comments on the post.

 

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Jackson's country music career earned him several accolades, including several CMA Entertainer of the Year awards and a Grammy. More than 30 of his hit songs topped the charts over the years, including "Don't Rock the Jukebox" and "Gone Country."

He also famously performed the hang-out song "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" with fun-loving musician Jimmy Buffet.

Many social media posts from Jackson often show him reflecting on his iconic music career and relishing joyous moments with his family. The popular singer demonstrates to other people battling a disease that joy can still be found among the challenges.

Alan Jackson was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in 2011, according to an interview with the "Today Show." He revealed his diagnosis publicly about a decade later.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is "an inherited degenerative disorder involving the peripheral nerves. It is caused by mutations in the genes that are responsible for the production of proteins necessary for the function and structure of the peripheral nerves. It is characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness in the feet, legs, hands, and arms and loss of sensation in the limbs," according to the National Institute of Health.

There is no cure for CMT, according to the National Institutes of Health, but symptoms can be managed.

Balancing Life and a Chronic Disease

Alan Jackson will have to manage symptoms associated with CMT for the rest of his life. He has said it affects his balance and mobility, including while he’s performing on stage.

However, it’s clear he’s not letting his condition stop him from enjoying his life.

Dr. William Breitbart is a board-certified psychiatrist who serves as the Chief of Psychiatry Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He says people facing a diagnosis including cancer tend to feel a sense of uncertainty. However, he stresses learning to embrace uncertainty as a part of living.

WATCH: Learning to accept yourself is part of living with cancer.

"What the task becomes is having the courage to live in the face of uncertainty, realizing that you cannot necessarily control the uncertainty in life … the suffering that occurs, challenges both good and bad," Dr. Breitbart says.

"You may not be able to control those, but you have control over how you choose to respond," Dr. Breitbart continued.

It appears Jackson's response to his diagnosis more than a decade later is to focus on the joys in life. In his case, what brings him joy seems to be his family and his love of music.

How to Focus on Things That Bring You Joy While Battling a Health Condition

Focusing on your mental and emotional health has a direct correlation to your physical health, according to some doctors SurvivorNet has spoken to. Part of this process involves focusing on the positives in your life as that can boost your emotional health.

"We know…better quality of life is associated with better survival, better outcomes," says  Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA.

WATCH: Why monitoring your emotional health is linked to your physical health.

Dr. Chase goes on to encourage cancer and chronic illness patients to pay close attention to their overall quality of life and happiness.

"Definitely working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment…working on those things and making them better are important and can impact your survival," Dr. Chase added.

Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist, suggests the "Three Wellsprings of Vitality." This approach focuses on positive psychology by encouraging feelings of positivity among patients.

She says these are helpful tools to help people who may be struggling with mental health issues can embrace to help maintain a certain sense of positivity.

WATCH: Dr. Boardman explains the Three Wellsprings of Vitality.

According to Dr. Boardman, these three wellsprings of vitality are:

• Connecting. This involves how you're connecting with others and having meaningful interactions. It involves being a good listener and being engaged with the people around you who you care about.
• Contribution. How are you adding value to the people around you? Are you helping them in ways that feel meaningful to them? Basically, this entails contributing/engaging with others in a meaningful way.
• Feeling challenged. Being "positively challenged" could involve learning something new (perhaps by taking a new class or reading an interesting book) and expanding your mind in some way.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
• Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
• When should I seek other interventions if I'm still struggling?
• How can seeking these connections help me in my day-to-day life?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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