Prayer – ABCD

There will never be Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion, those two are untouchable . There’s something about Andrea Bocelli and that Italian barritoned voice that is almost similar to Pavarotti. I’m reminded of a scene in Shawshank redemption when Dufrein locked himself in the Warden’s office and played music for the Prisoners.

“Red(Morgan Freeman): [narrating].” I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.” There’s something about music and the freedom it gives us . The artists in the given song take the first four letters of the alphabet.

I had a prayer many years ago in perfect health and asked for courage and strength and I didn’t know that challenges were on the way. Whereas I may not have gotten what I wanted, I definitely got what I needed. This illness obviously took a lot from me but you know what,it left the best out of me and doesn’t define me. Never let Success get to your head and failure get to your heart. I now celebrate small small wins because I am supposed to value Progress no matter how small it is.

Celine Dion last year cancelled her European tour announcing to the world that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome. Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, progressive neurological disorder. Symptoms may include: Stiff muscles in the trunk (torso), arms, and legs. Greater sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Spasms are a a sudden involuntary muscular contraction or convulsive movement. Spasms are not new to Stroke patients and often times after training how to walk, they do occur in the thigh and the legs. Now for Celine’s case,the disease is likely to affect her vocal cords and that’s sad. I have seen a patient with Stiff Person Syndrome coming over to receive rehabilitation at the Stroke Rehabilitation center what I can say about neurological conditions is that they need time and I know that Celine Dion will be alright.

To the dear reader, I pray you will be alright and manage through the week as this month ends. Whatever you are going through should not define you, yes it can be a mere footnote in your life but you are bigger than your challenges