Recovery

Perhaps best known as a historical town of the Revolutionary era and home to Bunker Hill monument, marking the site of one of the first major battles between the Americans and British, Charlestown is also home of Spaulding’s flagship facility since it opened in 2013. The foundation for recovery Spaulding gave me for a new life after sustaining a TBI in 2006 has been truly amazing. Maybe it was the leftover joy from the Sox victory, the night at Fenway with people who mean a lot to me, the beauty of the morning, or more likely, the combination that had me filled with joy! I’m not the most sentimental person, so being overwhelmed with gratitude without the pull of guilt that often strikes was a beautiful feeling.

After learning of Jim’s accident, Kathy and Jim reconnected. In 2013, Jim started speaking to some of Kathy’s classes where she now taught in Westborough High School in Westborough, MA. Now in 2021, Jim and Kathy decided to share their reflections on their journey from starting out as student and teacher to becoming colleagues and friends.

One such thing that I heard people say a lot was that, “the older I get, the smarter my Dad gets.”

The point I’m trying to make is not that an oversized focus on sports at the expense of academic achievement is ideal; rather that, a child’s passion for a sport shouldn’t be dismissed as unimportant. In fact, this principle applies just as much for a student devoted to art, whether that be music, visual arts, or theatre.

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.”

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.