Kryptonite Part 3: Every Superhero Has One

Please first read Kryptonite Parts 1 and 2

Hi, I’m Michael and I’m a stroke survivor.

After sitting with those disclosures for a few days, I reframed the situation.

Every superhero has kryptonite.

Superman has his.
Batman has his limits.
Iron Man needs the suit.

Why should I be any different?

Crowds drain me.
Speech takes effort.
Noise overwhelms faster than it used to.

That’s not failure.

That’s kryptonite.

Strength Redistributed

The stroke didn’t remove my strength.
It redistributed it.

I may avoid the centre of the table.
But I listen more deeply.

I may speak slower.
But I choose words more carefully.

I may fatigue sooner.
But I value my energy more intentionally.

Maybe my superpower now isn’t volume.

Maybe it’s perspective.

Both Can Be True

I am blessed to have friends who protect my blind spots.

And I am allowed to grieve the parts of myself that changed.

Strength and vulnerability aren’t opposites.

They coexist.

And sometimes sitting at the end of the table isn’t weakness.

It’s wisdom.