Thanks, DtG.

I think that for John, the spark in his heart is not to "come all the way back" from the stroke, but to regain the joy his life always reflected in enjoying a constant state of learning, discovering, sharing, and reflecting. What he delights in now is not "progress" in recovery per se, in total or by benchmarks, as much as the "normality" of having an active mind with things within his grasp and interests. He was as tickled to put together an aerial picture of hundreds of mud-soaking hippos, as he once had been tickled by writing and delivering a pithy theological poem. He longs to be seen and appreciated as a sentient being with his wry personality fully intact, instead of having folks assume that everything that seems broken is his new "self." As I tried to explain to his wife-- these videos aren't the "medicine," just the spoon. The medicine is the perceptive observations he shares when watching them WITH someone who is on his wavelength; he finds his wavelength much easier to share, with these sorts of videos, with people who not usually well tuned in to him.

~Susan