Rolling Stone – Finally Home
Freed from the Caged Bird

For many years I felt like a captured caged bird that sings and sings and sings, just waiting for someone to come by, open the caged door and allow me to fly free.

After months of rehabilitation, I realized that my post-stroke nourishment is releasing me from the emotional bird cage that binds me.

My post-stroke feeding is forcing me to look into the mirror and see my kindred spirit knocking at the door; a kindred spirit that takes me so deep that I do not realize where I have gone until the zone hits me forward-on.

My post-stroke feeding is healing my soul.

After having my stroke, I had to flip that feeling of anger. Like many others I asked myself, why did I have a stroke? Being the youngest sibling, why me? My resounding answer was, “why not me”.

As a little girl, up to a large portion of my elder-hood years, I felt like that captured caged bird, constantly wondering where I belong, where I belong. Do I really belong here?

Being a wanderer, I remember moving from job to job, home to home, searching for that perfect job and that perfect place to live. I became so excited with that new job or new home… until the novelty wore off. One day I asked myself, what am I running from? What am I running to?

Being so restless, like the caged bird, I finally realized, I was running from myself. Every job I worked, every home I moved into, each time I was taking me along with it.

My post-stroke rehab is gentle forcing me to take the time out to see my life for what it is, freeing myself from that cage.

My post-stroke life is teaching me to understand that as aphasia comes in different storms and waves, you just ride it out.

In my heart of hearts, my post-stroke life is teaching me to understand that beauty is truth, and that truth is beauty.

My post-stroke life is showing me that rainbows and butterflies dance in the sunset.
My post-stroke life is showing me how to open up the door of my bird cage, accept who I am, and come out ‘flying into the storm’.

And above all, my post-stroke life shows me…
my life is just a rolling stone that finally, finally has come home.

Word: We start off very low and rise up high, telling people who we really are***