The Silence of a Hundred Days by Shelly Wampler

Today I think about remembering. It's deeper than finding the remote or," did I miss an appointment?. "

Aging makes me think of all the things I've been through that mean so very much to me. 

Things that were life changing can be taken away now. 

Memory can slip away and never be found. 

Looking at a photograph of someone you don't know but have heard about..except the person, is you. 

Forgetting the names of strangers at a meeting takes on a whole new meaning when you know they were named by you and taught how to read and tie their shoes. 

Knowing how I loved someone and after 7 years, the faces are still clear, and the voices still speak in the silence of a hundred days. 

To remember causes pain and to forget leaves scars on my heart.

Posted May 23, 2017 by permission of the author

A Stroke of Faith by Mark Moore

Guest Blogger Mark Moore

I had always believed that I was in charge of my life, and I had been doing a heck of a good job of it. I was a successful businessman, loving husband and involved father, dedicated amateur athlete, and active member of my local church. However, everything changed on a beautiful Sunday morning in May 2007, when I was hit in quick succession by two nearly fatal strokes at the age of 46. Suddenly, I was no longer in control of anything.

After spending nearly a month in a medically-induced coma, I awoke to find myself a helpless invalid lying in a hospital bed, unable to lift my head, pierced by IVs, tubes, and monitoring devices, and suffering from a hole in my skull from what turned out to be life-saving surgery.

I wondered if I would ever be able to live a life like the one before my strokes and questioned whether I’d ever be able to walk, speak, or tie my shoes again. At first, I was devastated that this had happened to me, but I eventually realized that this was an opportunity to rearrange my priorities and focus on the things that were important to me. From then on, I vowed to never take my family, friends, health, or faith for granted ever again.

Now, 10 years later, I have made an almost-near recovery due to the expertise of medical professionals, extensive rehabilitation, and what I call the 3 F’s (family, faith, and friends)—even having completed a 5k race one year after my strokes. While my life will never fully return to pre-stroke normality, I have chosen to dedicate my life to philanthropy, my family, my renewed relationship with God and his plan, educating others about stroke awareness and prevention, and inspiring those who have suffered similar events. I am proud to be a regional ambassador for the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association, through which I have been blessed to be able to share my story and educate people about strokes.

The 10^th anniversary of my stroke is this month, coincidently falling during American Stroke Month. My new book, A Stroke of Faith: A Stroke Survivor’s Story of a Second Chance at Living a Life of Significance, published this month, and tells the story of my strokes and recovery journey. I hope that it will inspire others who have suffered similar afflictions and empower them to fully commit to their journey of recovery, even if it seems impossible at the time.

Mark Moore is a philanthropist and successful businessman. Along with his wife Brenda, a former nurse, Mark has established the Mark and Brenda Moore and Family Foundation, through which he supports advances in healthcare, education, culture and the arts, and Christian evangelism. Prior to engaging full time in his philanthropic work, Mark was Chief Operating Officer and co-owner of Segovia, Inc., a leading provider of global internet protocol services to the US Defense Department. Mark is also the Mid-Atlantic Ambassador for the American Stroke Association and the author of the memoir A Stroke of Faith, which is now on sale.

Now retired, Mark spends his days educating people about stroke prevention and awareness, sharing his inspirational story with those who have suffered strokes and other traumatic ailments, and giving back to his community.

In A Stroke of Faith, you’ll read about:
•       The moving story of the COO and co-founder of a multi-billion dollar company who stared down fear as he had to learn to write a check again, tie his shoes, and even walk.
•       How Mark turned to God for a deeper understanding of his hardships.
•       Mark’s Stroke Recovery Guide, where Mark shares key insights that helped him through his recovery.
•       How Mark’s stroke affected his wife and two children, and while there were many challenges along the way, it ultimately brought them closer together as a family.
•       How to be loving friends, care-takers and encouragers to those who are recovering from a stroke, or serious medical condition.
•       The story of how one man accepted that through this test of his very life, he was given a second chance to give back to his family, his friends, his community in ways he never dreamed possible.

More about Mark and A Stroke of Faith can be found at www.astrokeoffaith.com and on Facebook and Twitter @AuthorMarkMoore. @AuthorMarkMoore.