Get ChaRGD!

I came home from the hospital about nine months after the removal of a large brain tumor and a severe stroke.

At that time, I could swallow, speak, and stand on my own for a few seconds. I could not project my voice, blink consistently, drive, or walk without assistance.

Still, every night I went upstairs to bed.
Every morning, I got out of it.

Three years later, I had relearned how to drive. I was involved in my children’s lives again. I had returned to work. I had gone whale watching, attended a concert, and cheered for the visiting team at a couple of football games.

During those years — and every day since — I’ve had plenty of dark, hopeless moments.

To get through them, I began relying on four simple mantras. I repeat them to myself daily, especially when things feel overwhelming. I refer to these as my ChaRGD mantras:

Cha: Focus on what you can change.
R: Do the best you can with the resources you have.
G: Modify your goals while staying true to yourself.
D: Don’t be afraid to try something new and difficult.

Everything I’ve done since my surgery — from returning to work to going whale watching — has required all four.

The first time I went whale watching after my surgery, it was scary and physically challenging. I had to stay in one spot during the trip. But I love photography, and I still wanted to try for a great shot. I held my camera with a zoom lens up to my face the entire time, held onto the rail, and did the best I could with the resources I had.

On that first trip, I managed to capture a photo of dolphins — including one with its head out of the water.

I don’t use these mantras perfectly or all at once. Some days I only manage one. Some days I return to the same one over and over. They aren’t about fixing what’s broken — they’re about staying steady enough to keep going.