Say apple.  Go on, say it.  Apple.  What was it like?  What did it take to say that?  Do you like apples?  How many times in your life have you said that word and never really thought about how amazing it is to say it?   Apple.

Do you take for granted being able to say the word apple ?   What do you do everyday that you take for granted?  What simple tasks are actually blessings that we fail to thank God for.  Here is a quick list that may come to mind in 30 seconds or so….. getting out of bed, saying your name, swallowing your lunch, calling to your children, dialing a phone, writing a to-do list, driving across town, telling someone what you need, pouring a cup of coffee, getting dressed, going out to lunch, hugging your grandchildren with both arms, or saying the word apple.

Speaking is not an easy process.  There must be respiration (air), phonation (the voice), and articulation (the lips, jaw, tongue, and teeth all working together).  And the brain, in a healthy person, coordinates all this seamlessly.  Now say, apple.  What does this really take?  How many sounds are in it?  What do your mouth, lips, and vocal cords do?  When do you add sound to the word?  What happens if you change the vowel sound or do not voice part of the word?

If you consider all this, you will know why it is such a miracle when Arla purposefully speaks a word like apple.  It may have been the best part of her birthday and happened during her speech therapy session that day. Apple.  Arla is now at a stage where she is working to form words on purpose and from time to time gets one completely correct.  And so that word on Tuesday was APPLE.  And when she said it, she knew she had done it correctly and on purpose.  And the room seemed to buzz with the miracle of the word.  Apple.  Who knew this word would bless those who heard it in such a profound way?  Apple. One word represented an accomplishment, a commendation, a praise, a wailing, a huge leap forward, and a tiny step toward an insurmountable goal.  Apple.  It was a prayer and a present.  But as easy as it seemed to come, it took all the work and thinking and coordinating to try to do it again, only to fail. 

This is the life of the stroke survivor.  Trial and error, frustration and joy, steps and jumps, attempts and failures all in the midst of sorrow and extreme joy.  A stroke knocks you down and builds you up all at the same time.  It removes parts of your life and gives you new parts that are more wonderful than you ever knew. 

We have come to the point in the process when it is so hard to answer the question, “How is Arla doing?”  She is well.  She is making steady progress.  The progress is little by little.  But there is much work to do and she must work hard.  Pray for strength and determination.  And…. if you go to see Arla, ask her to say “bye” to you before you leave.  She will have to work at it.  Ba, Ba, Ba….Bye.   She can say it.   It is important that she works hard.