I’m still jazzed from Sunday’s “event” at Tucson Tellers of Tales. My story, “Crossing the Stroke Bridge to Recovery” just skimmed the surface of this incredible 4 ½ year journey I’ve been on from a stroke. What made it so fulfilling for me was the people who came and listened, and those who were moved to speak to me afterwards about their journey.
Some were friends who have been with me all along the way since August 25, 2021 when I chucked denial and admitted I had a stroke. Some were people I didn’t know before Sunday.
My early recovery held days and weeks of fear, pain, and anxiety. Fear was blunted by cards, letters, and (short by necessity) visits from neighbors, friends, and friends of friends. I didn’t realize the power of their words then, for many reasons. One was some of my brain cells were on strike so the drawing conclusions part of my brain was not operating. But in retrospect, people and the words they shared have been the biggest “gifts” of my stroke. I do like retrospective musing.
Many “lessons,” experiences, learnings, and changes have, and still are, shaping who I am today in 2026. And that is- a strong, grateful, happy, very human, therefore fallible, and hopefully more adaptable person. It’s impossible to share in one or even multiple blogs all that has happened. The idea of a book is drifting up there in my neuroplastic-oriented brain.
So I’m declaring it here: The foundation of my recovery is connections and appreciation of being with caring, compassionate people. That includes curious people too. Just ask me how I’m doing.
Ask me, “Is everything back to normal?”
I’d have to say, “It’s a new normal.” And there’s more to come.
Have you crossed a recovery bridge? Mine was stroke. Other bridges can be the job loss, heart attack, other brain injury, car accident, divorce, family trauma, PTSD. What was yours like? Feel free to contact me if you would like to share- what works, what doesn’t work in your recovery. Stay curious. Connect with all things.
Enjoy every step you take. If you’re curious, there is always something new to be discovered in the backdrop of your daily life.
― The Light in the Heart
Ethel Lee-Miller blogs regularly about people, the power of words, and her writing life. She retired after 30 years of teaching, and semi-retired from coaching, and professional editing. Founder of the Eastside Tucson Writing Room based in Tucson AZ, she’s posted 100s of blogs, and is the author of Thinking of Miller Place, and Seedlings, Stories of Relationships. These days she writes to inspire, to connect with folks, teaching about the power of words, gathering writers together, and for the pure enjoyment of it. Ethel enjoys teaching, speaking, and storytelling at Odyssey Storytelling, Artists Standing Strong Together, Tucson Tellers of Tales, Center for Spiritual Living Tucson, New Story Pod, and anywhere there’s a mic or a Zoom room.