POSTS

Since yesterday was Mother’s Day, first off, happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. And while most people probably feel that they have the best mom in the world, I can say for sure that the amount of love and support my mom has given me throughout my life is beyond description in words.

This was exactly the challenging situation faced by Dr. Martin and Marilyn Spivack, who in 1980 meet with five family members to discuss the need for an organization “to effect change for individuals with brain injury.”

How fortunate are we that when we look beneath all the details of each other’s experiences, some common emotional processes and feelings lie below. After all we’ve all had both the best, and the worse days of our lives. Remembering this fact is one way that I can identify with anyone that I happen to come across.

It seems that acceptance is a word, and certainly a concept, that is thrown around often in recovery communities. Whether it be recovery after a brain injury, a sudden loss, or from active addiction; acceptance is nearly always one of, if not the most important steps in an individual's journey.

In a previous post, I recounted my answer to a question that I often receive from groups that I’ve been fortunate to speak with. In “What’s the hardest part?”, I attempted to convey that not unlike most human beings walking around today; for myself, a brain injury survivor of almost 15 years now, staying present and mindful to fully participate in each day as it comes, remains perhaps my greatest challenge. It really is a miracle and ignites gratitude in my heart to realize that my recovery has progressed to the point where simply walking, talking, bathing, or dressing is no longer a daunting task.

For me, it seems that God puts people in my life that I continue learning incredible lessons from and to help to shift my perspective. I’ve only known Freddy Petrone for just over a year, but truly believe my friendship with him to fit with this pattern.