Dilynn: Unfinished

One thing I’ve learned through Dilynn’s brain injury is that the human brain is absolutely fascinating.

Recovery isn’t always a straight line. Memories don’t come back in order, and sometimes the brain reconnects things in the most unexpected ways.

Today she noticed the little windshield washer sprayers on the hood of my car and asked, “What are those?” Then she looked at me and said, “My car didn’t have those.” I asked, “What car did you have?” Without missing a beat, she said, “A BMW.” I asked what color it was and she said “gray”. 🤯 Before today, she hasn’t had a clue.

She hasn’t remembered anything that close to the time of her accident until now. Moments like that remind me that her brain is still healing, still making new connections, and still surprising us.

And then, because she’s still very much a teenager, I got distracted while she was talking to me and I didn’t answer her right away. She looked at me and said, “You left me on heard.” 😂

The memories, the personality, the wit… they show up when you least expect them. Recovery is full of twists and turns, but days like today are a beautiful reminder that healing is still happening, one unexpected connection at a time. 💚

She also laughed until she could hardly breathe on the way home. I’ve missed that so much. 🥲

On today’s episode of Dilynn: Unfiltered:

Dilynn - “How much does David make an hour?”

Me - gives a rough estimate

Dilynn - “That’s good, but I make $100 every 30 minutes”

Me - “Do you?”

Dilynn - “yeah”

Me - “where at?”

Dilynn - “strip club”

I had a fun helper today while I worked in my classroom. 😊 She is continuing to do well. Her incision is all closed up and looks amazing. Staples should come out Monday. She’s continuing to make progress in therapy. Please keep the prayers coming for a full recovery. 💚

Tonight we took Dilynn to Second Fridays in our hometown. Several people asked, “Is it okay if I talk to Dilynn?”

The answer is always YES! ❤️

Please don’t ever feel like you have to ask permission. Walk up and say hi. Tell her your name. Ask her how she’s doing. Have a normal conversation with her. Those conversations are actually helping her heal. Every time someone talks with her, her brain is practicing listening, processing information, finding the right words, responding, and interacting socially. Those everyday conversations reinforce many of the same skills she’s working on in therapy.

Her responses may be slower than they used to be, or she may say something completely unexpected, but every interaction is another opportunity for her brain to recover. The best thing you can do is include her. Don’t talk around her—talk to her. She is still Dilynn, and she loves being acknowledged.

At one point tonight, she looked and David and said “I’m famous.” 🥹❤️ That’s the impact you’ve had on her. Your encouragement, your prayers, and simply taking a minute to say hello mean more than you probably realize.

So the next time you see her, don’t hesitate. Just say, “Hey, Dilynn!” I promise, you’ll make her day—and you’ll be helping her heal at the same time.

Thank you all for loving our girl so well. We are forever grateful. 💚

The faces she makes when she thinks what she said is just SO funny…