Communicating

 There was an amazing post written in the past few days by Roia-- the Mindful Music Therapist. Roia talks about a nonverbal, autistic man that she works with who is showing that he is able to answer yes or no using word cards. She said it made her think about the song "I Wish I knew How It Would Feel to be Free".

Aside from trying to come to terms with the whole idea of actually communicating with me and having me understand him- overwhelming in and of itself for him, I think- there's the fact that it probably won't change his life in any appreciable way.  

Sara, from Girl with a Cane, wrote in a related post that Roia's post moved her so deeply that she began to cry.  Amy at My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery was inspired to share her experiences.
I was touched by this topic too.

Going back to college has been a real struggle for me  I still have huge fatigue issues, I still loose my balance and sensory issues sometimes win out. I occasionally wonder of this is worth all the effort. Other times I know that this is the right place for me.

When we went to the nursing home last week I was asked to help a lady in a wheelchair get her coat on.  She looked a bit panicked at a new person helping. She has aphasia and her main language is not English. She tried to explain that she could not move her right arm and that it needed to go in the jacket first. She said "Stroke" and was tearing up. I leaned my cane against the wall and reached to help with the coat. I looked her in her lovely eyes and said" Me too.".  I touched her bad hand and said "Your stroke"  and then I touched my left hand and leg and pointed at my cane and said " My side.".  Her left  hand reached out to me and pulled me toward her in a hug and she said .. "You Understand!". We were both tearing up at that point. She said "12: . I said "5 years.".

Yes I do understand .... so much more than her words. 
 

 

Send "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free"

I wish I knew how
It would feel to be free
I wish that I could break
All the chains holding me
I wish I could say
All the things that I'd should say
Say 'em loud say 'em clear
For the whole round world to hear
I wish I could share
All the love that's in my heart
Remove all the bars
It keeps us apart
I wish you could know
What it means to be me
Then you'd see and agree
That every man should be free

I wish I could give
All I'm longin' to give
I wish I could live
Like I'm longin' to live
I wish I could do
All the things that I can do do
And though I?m way over due
I'd be starting a new

Well I wish I could be
Like a bird in the sky
How sweet it would be
If I found out I could fly
And I'd sore to the sun
And look down at the sea
And I sing cos I know - yea
And I sing cos I know - yea
And I sing cos I know
I?d know how it feels
Oh I'd know how it feels to be free
Yea Yea I'd know how it feels
Yes I'd know
I'd know
How it feels
How it feels
To be free