He never knew me, and I didn’t think to be intentional enough to say thank you before goodbye. At the very least, I can share the power of his storytelling in encouraging humanity, human connection, and healing.
Tomie dePaola suffered a serious injury after falling about one week ago; and passed away yesterday due to post-surgical complications.
I, Jing Wu, severed neurons and burst a vital artery in my brain after falling 352 weeks ago; but lived to experience post-survival complications.
One of which, was an inability to read.
Not because I didn’t know what words were or how to read, but because my mind was unable to process words while experiencing a shock of co-morbid cognitive issues so soon post-brain injury. The letters and lines would move on the page and required a laborious, painful effort to comprehend.
Hearing of Tomie’s passing reminds me of his most renowned children’s book “Strega Nona: An Original Tale.” I am brought back to the memory of sitting on a red couch in the children’s section of Monroe St. Library, where one of my best friends picked up this story and read it to me aloud. Can you imagine? Two 21 year-olds, sitting in the kids’ section on a tiny couch, one of them enthusiastically emulating the accent of a saucy Italian grandmother, trying to coax smiles out of the other.
And to this day, this memory makes me cry. At the time, I felt so helpless, so useless, having a constant sense that something and everything was wrong all of the time. And to have another human slow down his life to make me laugh, to help me discover joy amidst constant confusion and pain, it was one of the most incredible feelings in the world.
And as my healing progressed throughout the years, these acts of selfless kindness, large and small, laid the foundation for my values, contributed greatly to why I was able to heal so swiftly, and to this day continue to help me maintain a long, gorgeous remission from chronic pain.
I am bountifully grateful now to be healthy enough to return the favor with unexpected resilience. I am hardly ever impeded by my medical history or trace conditions. The functional capacity and flexible capabilities of my mind truly astound me, where just a few years ago, I could not have imagined my brain being able to adapt or transform at the rate or effectiveness of which it has in the past 6.5 years. (Why my LinkedIn is not time-long, but experience-dense; aka, productive and nimble –Â driven by a passion and urgency not elaborated in this post).
Now my final comments will be in reverence to the tribute articles about Mr. dePaola, where I see parallels in our lives even though we never met. He was quoted referencing his younger self, the 4-year-old version, for guidance in the soul of his work and internalizing painful experiences to externalize them in the body of his work. I relate to this so deeply. And I bet many others can too. Is it not a beautiful reminder of the impact we can have on others through stories that connect us all? Just remember during these seemingly challenging times: Fear and greed lead to despair. Love and humanity lead to hope.
Thank you, Tomie dePaola, you unintentionally gave me joy; which is one reason why we give our best, even when we don’t know who’s life we will make better.
Written by: Jing Wu
Please connect with us if you are seeking support or hoping to learn more about being part of a Supportive, Inclusive, Compassionate, and Kind community:
Join The MindReset!
Check out Events for support groups or live events:
- Follow The MindReset Facebook page
- Follow The MindReset Twitter
- Follow The MindReset Instagram
You are always welcome to connect directly with an individual from TMR at contact@themindreset.com or (802) 377-MIND.
