ALS (MND) is a terminal disease for which there are no effective treatments. Within a few years, it gradually suffocates and kills its victims, first fully paralyzing them while leaving all sensation and cognition untouched.
This illness stills my legs and quiets my hands, forcing me to write the words you read here using only my eyes. It places me like a stone in this lingering twilight between darkness and dawn. Yet, this rare and terrible gift has opened me to what many rush past unnoticed in their time. As my body fades, my vision has grown bright.
This journal is my message in a bottle to you from a strange shore that you must also someday cross.
Open it and remember death, yes. But in remembering death, remember life. Let mortality sharpen your senses, widen your mind, deepen your loves, kindle your wonder. For we all dance with death. Some just hear the music more clearly.
***Due to the fact that the manuscript is now being sold as a book, not all of the original posts are visible on this site. Please stay posted regarding where the paper and audiobook may be acquired with the full 18 journal entries per season. In the meantime, should you have found one post particularly meaningful / helpful that is no longer listed on the blog, please contact me directly so that I may help on an individual basis.***
***Please note that you can now explore my little valley virtually/visually through the “The Valley” page.***
*** CAN NOW BE LISTENED TO LIKE AN AUDIOBOOK BY PLAYING THIS YOUTUBE PLAYLIST (Click the following to open in a different tab.): “What Remains is Radiant: A Journal from the Edge of Breath” ***
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Over the past five years of living with illness, I’ve developed a renewed appreciation for the value of books— audio and print—as companions, counselors, teachers, and friends. This appreciation is especially relevant for those of us living with conditions like ALS, and to individuals in hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, emergency housing, correctional settings, […]