I love this. It is frightening and heartening. I'm old and what you describe is what I would have felt, I think, if I'd gone from 40 to 85 in one minute. I hope you can fly, in your newly painted mind, with your wonderful birds.
I wish I could write as eloquently about the TBI that has impacted my life in countless ways since a car accident 48 years ago. I’m told to just forget it. It’s over. My uncertainty with navigating the world both physically, as well as mentally, is just part of aging. Your essay allows me to understand that my TBI will never go away or be forgotten or be discounted. That I will always belong to this exclusive club that I never asked to join but has become a permanent part of who I am &, no matter how hard I try, will influence my everything!
Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Judith. I appreciate your courage and your ability to articulate your path. Painting birds: what an amazing place to land. And the way you paint - to create translucence. Beautiful.
I love this piece. I love your writing. I love that as you keep reporting on your situation over and over you do it with such engaging wordplay I feel compelled to drink in every syllable. I love that during the months I've been following your saga, while I seem to be reading the same article written in different words, what I am really witnessing is your ever deepening willingness to translate this impossible situation into words a reader can feel - the cleverness only makes me feel it more poignantly. I want to know how you do that, while simultaneously wanting to be there with you through this crazy journey of your corner of the human condition.
Judith, your words and your birds move me in some of the same ways. I feel the care given to them both. I rejoice in the wholeness of both and identify with the brokenness that in some way visits each of us and deepens us, if we let it, helping us create such strong and tender beauty. Thank you for persevering. Thank you for the beauty.
Such a thoughtful rendering of the large and subtle effects of a traumatic brain injury. I had a stroke seven years ago, so I am with you, although as you know no two brain injuries are exactly alike. Beauty and love are a way out! Thank you.
I was drawn into your story immediately and could picture your freelance writing life in NYC. There was a time when I wanted to be that girl, with my name in magazines. I kept reading because I wanted to hear more, understand how you got your functioning self back again. You have a gift with language and how to use words to elicit an emotional response. I salute your courage, determination and drive to overcome all obstacles on your path to recovery. Wow, you are a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Thanks for persevering!
Judith, you are a beautiful and insightful writer. What a gift that you can now share this incredible (and ongoing) saga. I identify with and admire you. 6 mos ago I was hospitalized with West Nile virus, and am still coming back, wondering about (mostly) the physical me, always grateful that the mental me helped me push through. Bless you for being so strong!
Judith, thank you for this eloquent, harrowing and beautiful piece of writing. As another survivor of TBI I am all the more mindful of the achievement this work represents, and grateful. Brava.
Judith, the quality of your writing is like lightning: short and sharp and brilliant. How did you recover enough to write so powerfully? It's not a rhetorical question. Did you have those words but couldn't get them out except on paper, or did you laboriously have to recover your use of words entirely? This is truly an extraordinary piece of writing.
How beautiful that you've fixated on birds? Did you have any connection to birds before the accident, or is that new?
PS - my mother was trashed by a truck. Totaled. A long time ago.
I wouldn't have had the life and family I have now if that hadn't happened. So - life goes that way..... Your loss is much worse than mine, but as I said I am astounded by the power of your writing, especially given the story.
I am so impressed with your story and how you've been able to recover. It makes me realize again that my own difficulties with health are nothing by comparison. You are a wonderful example of what it means to rise above what life may throw at you and to carry on. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Please do not compare one journey to another or one set of things that hurt to another. We each get hit by a metaphorical truck or two. (One of) Mine was just less metaphorical.
What grit and determination! An absolute triumph of the human spirit. I am in awe. Please keep writing and painting. You definitely are here and a brilliant spark of you inspires me. Thank you!
Deep thanks.
I love this. It is frightening and heartening. I'm old and what you describe is what I would have felt, I think, if I'd gone from 40 to 85 in one minute. I hope you can fly, in your newly painted mind, with your wonderful birds.
I wish I could write as eloquently about the TBI that has impacted my life in countless ways since a car accident 48 years ago. I’m told to just forget it. It’s over. My uncertainty with navigating the world both physically, as well as mentally, is just part of aging. Your essay allows me to understand that my TBI will never go away or be forgotten or be discounted. That I will always belong to this exclusive club that I never asked to join but has become a permanent part of who I am &, no matter how hard I try, will influence my everything!
Thank you for writing. Please just do your best.
I hate that you’re encouraged to get over it, as though you could
Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Judith. I appreciate your courage and your ability to articulate your path. Painting birds: what an amazing place to land. And the way you paint - to create translucence. Beautiful.
Thank you. I am deeply grateful to you.
Deeply grateful.
I love this piece. I love your writing. I love that as you keep reporting on your situation over and over you do it with such engaging wordplay I feel compelled to drink in every syllable. I love that during the months I've been following your saga, while I seem to be reading the same article written in different words, what I am really witnessing is your ever deepening willingness to translate this impossible situation into words a reader can feel - the cleverness only makes me feel it more poignantly. I want to know how you do that, while simultaneously wanting to be there with you through this crazy journey of your corner of the human condition.
Thank you for your words. I'm deeply grateful to you.
Judith, your words and your birds move me in some of the same ways. I feel the care given to them both. I rejoice in the wholeness of both and identify with the brokenness that in some way visits each of us and deepens us, if we let it, helping us create such strong and tender beauty. Thank you for persevering. Thank you for the beauty.
Thank you.
I paint the birds with great care in many very light layers, just a tiny bit of paint at a time.
Your writing is beyond brilliant. You open up worlds and quivering fragile wings in me. Thank you.
I am deeply grateful to you for your words. Thank you.
Such a thoughtful rendering of the large and subtle effects of a traumatic brain injury. I had a stroke seven years ago, so I am with you, although as you know no two brain injuries are exactly alike. Beauty and love are a way out! Thank you.
Thank you.
Judith,
I was drawn into your story immediately and could picture your freelance writing life in NYC. There was a time when I wanted to be that girl, with my name in magazines. I kept reading because I wanted to hear more, understand how you got your functioning self back again. You have a gift with language and how to use words to elicit an emotional response. I salute your courage, determination and drive to overcome all obstacles on your path to recovery. Wow, you are a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Thanks for persevering!
Judith, you are a beautiful and insightful writer. What a gift that you can now share this incredible (and ongoing) saga. I identify with and admire you. 6 mos ago I was hospitalized with West Nile virus, and am still coming back, wondering about (mostly) the physical me, always grateful that the mental me helped me push through. Bless you for being so strong!
Judith, thank you for this eloquent, harrowing and beautiful piece of writing. As another survivor of TBI I am all the more mindful of the achievement this work represents, and grateful. Brava.
Deep bow.💗
Thank you for this.🩷
Thank you for your note.
Judith, the quality of your writing is like lightning: short and sharp and brilliant. How did you recover enough to write so powerfully? It's not a rhetorical question. Did you have those words but couldn't get them out except on paper, or did you laboriously have to recover your use of words entirely? This is truly an extraordinary piece of writing.
How beautiful that you've fixated on birds? Did you have any connection to birds before the accident, or is that new?
PS - my mother was trashed by a truck. Totaled. A long time ago.
I am honored by your words. I am deeply sorry to hear of your loss.
I wouldn't have had the life and family I have now if that hadn't happened. So - life goes that way..... Your loss is much worse than mine, but as I said I am astounded by the power of your writing, especially given the story.
Thank you. Deep bow. Very grateful to you.
<3
Deep bow, always to Sari.
Beautiful. You still have your words, and the ability to evoke them in others. Love this essay. And your birds!
Thank you for your words. And I'm glad you like the birds.
I am so impressed with your story and how you've been able to recover. It makes me realize again that my own difficulties with health are nothing by comparison. You are a wonderful example of what it means to rise above what life may throw at you and to carry on. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Please do not compare one journey to another or one set of things that hurt to another. We each get hit by a metaphorical truck or two. (One of) Mine was just less metaphorical.
What grit and determination! An absolute triumph of the human spirit. I am in awe. Please keep writing and painting. You definitely are here and a brilliant spark of you inspires me. Thank you!