Cherish the moment

Last Thursday, I visited my granduncle who had just been admitted to the hospital for stroke. The many results of stroke include, paralysis of certain parts of the body, deterioration of the brain and memory, inability to control emotions, and also speech and hearing difficulties.

How does stroke affect speech? According to medical references, there are 2 effects - 'aphasia' and 'dysarthria'. Aphasia is a disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain that are responsible for language. So those diagnosed with this have trouble saying what they're thinking. Consequently, it affects the ability to listen, read and write. Dysarthria, on the other hand, is a speech disorder that is due to a weakness or incoordination of the speech muscles. Speech becomes slow, slurred, imprecise, and uncoordinated. So stroke survivors can be hard to understand. Effects can be relatively minor and short-lived, but it can also be a long-term condition. Nevertheless, a disorder is a disorder, and we would still have to endure it.

So what happens if someday we (touch wood!) loose the ability to speak? Due to unforeseen circumstances. Have we ever wondered and thought about it? I daresay that I have not. Most of the time, we never realise the importance of what we possess until it is lost. So, it hit me then, when I saw my relative lying in bed like that. It made me realise how lucky I am that I am able to speak properly. My body is fully in-tact, and functioning well. The last visit I paid to him, he still couldn't talk properly. And my relatives and I were all straining our ears, trying to catch what he meant. It is difficult for us, because we it is difficult for us to understand what he is trying to say to us. But I think, it is more so for him. Imagine being unable to communicate with the other person. No matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to be able to say it right, and convey the message across. You try your best to reach out to the other person, but your hard work is just, unfortunately, futile. There were also times when he would get a little agitated. Because he just couldn't seem to express his thoughts into words. I think if it were me, I would be frustrated as well.

So I felt really contented as I left the hospital. I think we should always seize the moment! Live in the moment, as they say. What happens if we never get a chance to say what we wanted to say? No more tomorrows.. Like, for example, you've always wanted to talk to this person. But you're intimidated to do so. And then, before you know it, its too late, because you don't get to see that person anymore. And then, you'd just live in the past, live in regret. Because for the next few days, you'd be wishing you had the chance to rewind, and COMMUNICATE with that person. Communication. Its complex. But, nevertheless, its a major role in our lives.

So I guess what I'm saying is, we should be thankful for what we have. We should be grateful that we are blessed with the ability to converse with others. Imagine how hard it is for those who are verbally-impaired, how they have to use different forms of non-verbal communication to converse with others. So, since we are lucky enough to be able to communicate properly, lets take every moment to shower others with words of comfort, joy, and happiness!