In this episode of 50 First Dates with Chris HVMMINGBYRD I reflect on illness, healing, boundaries, and the people who show up — and the ones who don’t. After surviving a stroke and brain surgery, I learned that time becomes sacred, conversations deepen, and tolerance for emotional weight disappears.

This episode explores gratitude without obligation, detachment as protection, and the quiet grief of realizing who only stays for the good moments. It’s a reflection on choosing your environment, honoring the beauty of pain, and returning to purpose — even after life changes everything.

If you’re navigating recovery, grief, friendship shifts, or redefining your boundaries, this episode is for you.

stroke recovery podcast

brain surgery healing journey

setting boundaries during illness

friendship and healing

gratitude without obligation

emotional boundaries

photographer recovery story

trauma healing reflections

chronic illness and relationships

personal growth podcast

#50FirstReflections

#HealingJourney

#StrokeRecovery

#BrainSurgerySurvivor

#BoundariesAreNecessary

#ChoosingMyWorld

#EmotionalHealing

#FriendshipAndHealing

#GratitudeWithoutObligation

#CreativeResilience

#PhotographerLife

#LifeAfterTrauma

#PersonalGrowthPodcast

#RealConversations

Today’s episode is stitched with memory — dance floors, college hallways, and the wild way life circles us back to our people.

We met at eighteen, two kids in a dance class who had no idea the world would bend and twist us into who we are now. Years passed, and somehow she found her way back into my orbit — right into the studio where I was teaching my own class… just two days before my stroke.

And then the hospital.
The silence.
The fear.
The soft grounding of someone who didn’t flinch.

While some friendships disappeared, she stayed — not out of duty but out of a kind of loyalty that feels rare in this lifetime. She witnessed the recovery, the regressions, the laughter in the middle of crisis, and the strange moments where it felt like nothing had changed at all.

Today, we dive into what real friendship looks like:
communication that saves you,
presence that steadies you,
and laughter that reminds you you’re still here.

Let’s step into this reflection together.
brighter days are coming

#FriendshipMatters #HealingJourney #StrokeSurvivor #AphasiaAwareness #RealConnection #WitnessingEachOther #EmotionalHealing #PodcastHealing #BrainSurgeryRecovery #SurvivorVoice #HVMMINGBYRD

Today I sit with one of my students — someone who first met me through movement and the way dance lets the body speak before words do. We talk about the connection we found in class, how she felt in my rhythm, and the surprise twist that she’s also a speech pathologist.

Together, we explore how dance and speech mirror each other, how life becomes its own choreography, and why we should all dance like we’ll never get to dance again. 🐦‍🔥

#HVMMINGBYRD #DanceHealing #MovementTherapy #SpeechPathologistLife #ChoreographyOfLife #MindBodyConnection #HealingJourney #NeurodivergentVoices #BrainInjuryRecovery #WarriorEnergy #SurvivorStrength #AphasiaAwareness #DanceLikeYoullNeverGetToDanceAgain

Hi, I’m Chris — and this is 50 First Reflections; Chris’s Diary.

Six months ago, I went through brain surgery that changed everything — the way I speak, the way I see the world, even how I understand myself. Somewhere along this journey, I also discovered that I’m autistic… and it felt like finally finding a missing piece of me that was there all along.

This space is my diary — my safe place to reflect, to breathe, and to remember who I am becoming. Each episode feels like writing in the quiet hours after healing, when the world slows down and honesty starts to speak.

Here, I talk about recovery, identity, gratitude, and all the beautiful, messy in-betweens of starting over.If you’ve ever had to rebuild yourself from the inside out — you’ll feel at home here.

brighter days are coming 🐦‍🔥

Helpful links

http://autismspeaks.com/

This week’s episode is a little different — it’s raw, it’s tender, it’s love after survival. 🐦‍🔥I sit down with my partner to talk about what it means to rebuild a life together after brain surgery.we dive into:

• ​how our love story evolved through trauma and healing
• ​the unseen emotional work behind recovery
• ​advice for partners supporting someone through brain surgery or PTSD
• ​finding beauty again after everything breaks

this conversation is for the survivors, the caregivers, the dreamers — anyone who’s ever had to rebuild love from the ashes.we talk about boundaries, forgiveness, and learning how to hold each other through the storm and into the sunrise.

press play if you’ve ever wanted to believe in brighter days again.

*Not a paid advertisement

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In this episode of 50 First Dates with Chris HVMMINGBYRD, I reflect on the truth that healing takes time. From surviving brain surgery to navigating aphasia and all others, I share a heartfelt perspective on patience, resilience, and the courage to embrace each day as part of the journey. With flirty humor and poetic honesty, I invite you to see recovery not as a race, but as a love story with yourself.

Step into the very first moments of 50 First Dates with Chris HVMMINGBYRD, a podcast that blends love, resilience, and rediscovery. After surviving brain surgery and living with aphasia, Chris shares what it means to embrace life like every encounter is a first date — full of gratitude, curiosity, and hope. Expect flirty conversations, poetic reflections, and inspiring stories that will remind you: brighter days are coming.