My Old Friend Took a Tumble

     My old friend Terry took a tumble that left all of us - including him - speechless. Terry was like a big brother to me when we were teenagers, an affable guy always quick with words. Three years ahead of me in school, he pursued a degree in journalism, and when I reached the same college, I did, too.     
     I was shocked when I heard Terry tripped down a flight of stairs and suffered a traumatic brain injury. After four hours of surgery, he struggled to communicate. He had trouble finding his words.     What did Terry want to say?     
     If this had happened to me, what would I want to say?     
     What would I wish I had said to those around me before I no longer could?     Over time, Terry’s speech has improved. And because of his fall, I’ve thought about how easy it is for me to speak with others. With little thought and just a few words, I can build them up or tear them down. This has prompted me to want to say simple, but important, things to them like:     
     “Thank you.”     
     “You’re great.”     
     “You’re valuable.”     
     “I love you.”     
     I’ve already contacted two people I hadn’t spoken with for decades, and our communication was rich. Now I’m thinking that perhaps around the Thanksgiving table we can tell each person how much they mean to each other.     
​     That might leave us speechless.
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