When the blogging really began

Three and a half years ago, on March 6, 2019, my dad suffered several embolic strokes. To say that this was life changing and a family crisis would be an understatement. Larger than life, a fantastic communicator and big presence in our family and his church and community, my dad was the ultimate patriarch. He was who we turned to for advice and strength and confidence; he was our rock.

In the days following Dad’s strokes I began to keep the the community who cared so much about him updated on his progress by writing journal entries on CaringBridge. I found the practice of writing to be helpful for me to process my pain as well as a good way to share specific prayer requests. Friends near and far offered their love for dad, and our family has continued to be so very touched by their ongoing support.

For those that don’t know the story, Dad is still severely impacted by the strokes. He is paralyzed on his right side and has both apraxia and aphasia (which basically means he can’t really converse or find the words he wants to use). Nevertheless, we are so thankful to God for sparing his life, and we still have faith that he’ll improve. Every day we find things to be thankful for, but the journey hasn’t been an easy one.

What I learned through writing all the CaringBridge updates was that so many people are going through their own battles, and people seem to find comfort in knowing they are not alone in their struggle to find joy and keep the faith when things feel so grim. And, somehow, writing about my hurts and hopes just helped me. It was sort of like allowing myself to be known at a guttural level. It was often raw and always real.

So, while this blog isn’t just about Dad and his recovery, I posted some of those old CaringBridge updates (with the date they were written) to have them included in my journey of discovery. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since those early days post-stroke. But, it is a good reminder to be able to look back and recall how far God has brought Dad, our family, and my broken-daughter heart.