My Story
We are supposed to be taking good care of our kids, they shouldn’t hold the burden of taking care of us. Exchanging our pride for humility is tougher than I ever thought it could be. Blending logic with emotion is so frustrating at times we want cry. I thought life was tough enough on me up to this point. Nothing will be as easy again. Awesome family, great friends & good music can do special things through dark moments. Show gratitude every chance you get.
You are responsible for how people will remember you. ~ Kobe Bryant.
I have spent my entire life just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a great place to grow up. Life was good. I’m just not sure I knew it at the time.
From having the ability to row the river & catch fish to struggling to navigate my way through the kitchen. Life is much tougher than it used to be.
I had a Cerebellar Ischemic Stroke… Shit, what are the odds of that? 2 - 3% of all stroke victims to be exact. Stroke hits hard, happens fast & it sucks bad!
The stroke took everything in life away from us at the time. We were in a tough spot & didn’t know what would happen or what to do. I did know that I had a tough wife, great kids, really close friends & family. We are only as strong as our team in my opinion. I did have a good one and I knew that. My wife was my go to, my kids were my why & my friends kept me motivated.
The hospital to the rehab facility, from the rehab facility to the local gym, from the local gym to a home gym. The goal was to get stronger & to get up fast.
Everything sucked by the way. It was all so complicated. So much effort was given for the simple things.
I am almost 4 years post-stroke & everything to this day is a daily struggle. I’m not sure if it gets better or we just get stronger, but the struggle is worth it for me.
Golfing with your buddies turns to playing with your grand kids, weekend camping trips to the mountains turned to short trips to the beach by the lake & my dream golf coarse changed to the miniature putt putt down the street.
It’s a very humbling experience, but goals kept me tough. It’s all a matter of perspective, but the latter of those examples are goals worth working for.
“Work hard & be nice to people” ~ Michael Franti is a quote I carry with me everywhere. It’s often “easier said than done” ~ Unknown, is a great quote too.
