Day 365: It's been a year.
It's been hard to decide between celebrating a year of healing or leaving the dark day of December 8th in the darkness, but here we are. Hey. Mike survived. He's still with us.
Anyone who has experienced a tragedy knows that anniversaries are hard. Thank you to those who have gone to visit Mike - friends, families and especially you kind strangers with your gutars and singing voices. He loves music. Company and smiles are the best medicine, still. If you are interested in stopping by, expect a funny, joking, amazing human with a toddler-esque sense of humor and a serious sweet tooth.
Our Mike is still finding little improvements here and there. We had a fun time decorating his half of the room for Halloween, and on Thanksgiving we got him a little fridge for his protein shakes and Butterfingers. Feel free to bring by some to refill his stash!
If you bring him something to eat or any type of fidget, you can ask him if he's feeling like he would like to try it himself or if he would like your help. He is super patient. I always like to offer him the opportunity to try to open the package or perform any task on his own first, as it is a great way to offer him some off-the-clock physical/occupational therapy.
Visitors are still further dwindling, so please feel fret co come in to say hello. Mike is in good spirits and cracking jokes. He also can't remember any of the beef he had with anyone, so if you decide to come by.. well.. bygones are already bygones. ;) Just send me a message and I'll get you the info.
If you do decide to visit, just be prepared to see a beautiful human who is still greatly physically and mentally incapacitated. His feet and toes are perpetually pointed due to the traumatic brain injury, and his hands shake uncontrollably, especially the left one. He spends all of his time in his bed, and his wheelchair when the beautiful people at his very understaffed medicaid funded nursing home have time to use the crane to get him there so he can have some out of bed time.
Tell him your favorite curse word, and he'll tell you his. Laugher will always ensue.
As we "celebrate" a year of healing but also a year of deep pain, I want to thank all of you for the support that you have offered, between your gifts and all of the positive vibes and prayers you have sent our way. The path ahead of us is an unending one, but we're here for the fight.
