I want to share a vivid example of the timeframes involved in my stroke rehabilitation journey

As Christmas approaches, I’ve found myself reflecting on the long, winding path of my stroke rehabilitation journey.

Recently, I stumbled upon a message I wrote to a dear friend back in December 2016. Seeing it again — and placing it beside a message I wrote this year — brought home just how far steady commitment can carry us.

Stroke rehabilitation is rarely a short chapter. For many of us, it stretches across years, shaped by persistence, frustration, small breakthroughs, and the quiet courage to keep going.

My own plan focused on several objectives two of which were: relearning to write legibly with my right hand, and teaching my left hand to type with confidence.

Both have taken time, patience, and more repetition than I care to admit — but both have borne fruit.

The image of my 2016 and 2025 Christmas messages tells the story better than any words could. It captures not just improvement, but endurance.

And while I’m proud of the progress, I’m not finished. 2026 will bring its own challenges, and I’ll meet them the same way I’ve met the last nine years: one deliberate step at a time.

These days, I type with my left hand and write only a little with my right. Along the way, I even invented a new typeface — Lacunar Copperplate — a small nod to humour and creativity in the midst of rehabilitation.

Wherever this message finds you, I hope it brings a moment of warmth. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyful, hopeful 2026.

Brian A Beh- A Stroke Survivor.