time Flies When You've Had A Stroke

The other day I was talking to my uncle, who will soon be turning 90.

He said, “I've been thinking about you a lot lately, the older I get and the more limitations I discover I have,

“I think of you.” he continued, “ I've grown into my limitations as I've aged.

BUT YOUR STROKE created limitations for you and they hit you, all at once.”

 

I had never thought of having a stroke like that but I realized he was right. It was as if, in some ways, I had become an elderly person overnight.Or at least a more frail person.

 

The good news is that many older people live full rich, productive lives.

  So while all of us are going to go through changes as we age and deal with health challenges.  These changes are not necessarily limitations.

They may affect how and what we do.

 

But, some people adapt to these changes by making adjustments so they can keep doing the things that they love.

This means that we have choices.

As Stroke Survivors, we can stay in bed with our heads under the covers

or we can find ways to do some of the things we did before our strokes.

We may not be able to do them as easily as we did before or

as well.  But if we follow our passions to do the things that are important to us we can find ways around the changes.

 So don’t call the changes to your mind and body limitations. Because they may not limit you in any way.  

And they may actually enable to discover new strengths and interests

What, may at first, seem like limitations might actually make you a better and more complete version of  yourself.  If we follow our passions to do the things that are important to us we can find ways around the changes.

As Philosopher Marcus Aurelius said in his meditations 4.49

 

Don’t say,

‘It is my bad luck that this has happened to me.’

No, you should rather say:

‘It is my good luck that, although this has happened to me, I can bear it without pain, neither crushed by the present nor fearful of the future.’

Because such a thing could have happened to any person,

but not everyone could have borne it without pain.

So why see more misfortune in the event than good fortune in your ability to bear it? ...So in all future events which might induce sadness remember to call on this principle: ‘this is no misfortune, but to bear it true to yourself is good fortune.’

 

So.  Adapt, hang tough, and do what you love.