Tobias' Recovery

  TobiasComeback Blog Entry: “Sitting Still Isn’t Giving Up” May 12, 2025 Today, I watched Tobias sit in his wheelchair, parked just a few feet from where he wanted to go. He sat there, quiet, still, and focused—his right leg poised for a move that didn’t come. I didn’t rush in. I didn’t rescue. I just watched it. And waited. How long is too long to wait? That question lives in the quiet spaces of our daily lives. It’s not just about time; it’s about trust. Trust in the process. Trust in the effort, even when it may not appear to be effortful. Trust in the stillness that might seem like stuckness but could actually be building something unseen. We’re teaching Tobias to move his wheelchair using his right leg on the floor—just a scoot, a push, a glide. It sounds simple. But for someone whose brain was once bathed in blood from a rupture he didn’t ask for, it’s a mountain. And yet, day after day, we practice. Occasionally he can do it, but sometimes he freezes. And that’s whe...

 Die letzte Zeit musste ich viel über das Wort Fairness nachdenken. Es wird immer wieder erwähnt im Zusammenhang mit Tobias. Hierzu kam dann auch die Inspiration dieses Blogs. Viel Spaß beim lesen.  🌿 Das Leben ist nicht fair – und trotzdem schön Warum erscheint das Leben so ungerecht? Wir hören von Kriegen. Wir sehen Menschen – Kinder, Jugendliche, Erwachsene und Ältere – mit schweren Krankheiten. Viele kämpfen mit psychischen Belastungen oder körperlichem Schmerz. Das Leben kann sich schwer und ungerecht anfühlen. Und doch – mitten in all dem – ist diese Welt wunderschön. Die Natur zeigt uns den Kreislauf des Lebens: Blühen, langsamer werden und sterben, auferstehen. Die Pflanzen zeigen uns, wie das geht. Sie lehrt uns still, dass alles seine Zeit hat. Das Universum hat uns die Erde geschenkt – einen Ort zum Leben, Lernen, Pflegen und Ernähren. Und wir Menschen haben begonnen, der Welt mit unserer Vorstellungskraft Bedeutung zu geben. Eines dieser Konzepte ist die  Fa...

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about what Tobias says and his attitude toward his and our new life. This blog entry was inspired by the phrase, It's just not fair what happened to Tobias' life.  🌍 Life Isn’t Fair—But Life Is Still Beautiful Why does life seem unfair? We see and hear about war. We live among children, young adults, and elderly people with severe health issues. Many of us struggle with mental illness or physical pain. Life can feel heavy and full of suffering. And yet — in the middle of all this — the world we live in is beautiful. Nature teaches us the cycle of life: blooming, slowing down, and dying. It is a quiet teacher, showing us that everything has its season. The universe gave us Earth — a place to live, learn from, take care of, and live off. In response, we humans created ideas to make sense of it all. One of those ideas is fairness . What is fairness? According to the dictionary: “Fairness is the quality of treating people equally or in a...

  Every Day is a New Beginning: Embracing Renewal Beyond New Year's Day As the calendar turns over to a new year, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past and planning for the future. The concept of a "fresh start" is often associated with New Year's Day, a time when we set goals, envision new beginnings, and dream of positive change. But is January 1st the only opportunity for renewal?  The truth is, every day—indeed, every moment is a chance to begin anew. Life reminds us of this through its many challenges and victories, offering lessons that encourage us to trust, breathe, and have faith. The Power of a New Day Each sunrise brings with it the promise of a new beginning, a fresh slate. This idea isn't confined to the arbitrary turning of a calendar page. Life teaches us, often through its trials, that growth and renewal are continual processes. Tobias, for example, faced pain today—a hard and disheartening experience for both him and those who love him....

  Conversations That Touch the Heart: Tobias’s Connection with the Past Hello, dear readers of Tobias’s Comeback , 😍 As we navigate the winding paths of life, there are moments that remind us how deeply connected we are to the people who have shaped our journey. For Tobias, one of these moments came in the past few weeks during a heartfelt conversation with his mission president and his wife, the Bentlys. Now retired and enjoying life on their peaceful farm, they spoke with Tobias over the phone, creating an exchange that was equal parts fun, touching, and inspiring. A Mission Full of Challenges—and Love As parents, we always wonder how our children are truly doing during their missions (in our case, the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints). Are they happy? Are they safe? Tobias’s mission in Santiago, Chile, was not an easy one. From facing a gun pointed at him just two weeks after arriving in Chile—Santiago—to enduring riots with fires breaking out in stores and ATMs, Tob...

  Update on Tobias Tobias has rocked the past two weeks. Even though we had a lot of cancellations on therapies due to colds and vacation, we did our own thing. To be honest, I enjoy these quieter weeks at times. They give me time to focus on all those things I wanted to do with Tobias but never get to them. Especially cognitive work, which I find personally so rewarding; of course the walks and chats with him. Tobias is making progress, and it’s incredibly fulfilling to see positive feedback almost immediately. My biggest wonder and fears when I am down:  Will his ability to learn new things ever fully return—or will it only partially come back? How will he ever learn new things? Learning is tied to the frontal lobe and thalamus, and both areas have suffered damage. Here is an example. We went to the temple on Saturday, but Tobias does not remember. Tobias cannot remember which day it was yesterday. The good thing is, his awareness is there. If I ask him, "Did you go to the t...