The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Sometimes you read a book that settles into your mind and heart and makes you think how lucky you are to be alive.  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby is clearly one of these books.  It is a true story from the former editor of Elle magazine, who goes from a fully-functioning man and in an instant he loses it all and is permanently paralyzed in what is known as “locked-in syndrome,” resulting from a massive stroke at the age of 43.  Bauby miraculously is trained to use his eyes (through blinking) to write this book.  The book is a series of short stories capturing the challenges, the loses in life, and the small incidentals we forget and don’t recognize we have…. until it is too late.  I was very much moved by the book on many levels.  To have a family, be on top of the world professionally, and in a split second to lose it all – or at least have it, but being unable to communicate… what a tragic situation.  Just to read of Bauby’s ability to learn a new communication style shows his fight to be heard.  Bauby presents a sense of the unimaginable with wit, heroism, and grit.  Opening your mouth but not having it move, having so many thoughts and no way to communicate them to another human being, or having an itch and no way to relieve the sensation.  Bauby explains what stays in the recesses of your mind and how he found ways to move beyond to an inner peace.  I can’t imagine the pain.  His last vignette tells the story of being with his son driving a car to becoming paralyzed and lost in the coma.  One of the saddest triumphs of the book is that the author perished two days after the book was complete.  Something to be said for having a project/something to look forward to in life, and when that ended… so did he.  This book would be great for someone who has lost the appreciation for others and the small things.  What a book for reflection and gratitude for all we have… singing out loud in the shower, tasting strawberries dipped in chocolate sauce, hearing your child speak to you, and showing physical affection to a loved one… cherish these moments, my friends.  A very short read, worth the price!