Today is my 50th birthday.

It wasn't the way I ever imagined celebrating this milestone. But the greatest gift I have is that I still have John by my side. We may not have words right now, but somehow we still understand each other. There is no greater gift than that.

I didn't want a big celebration. I honestly didn't feel much like celebrating at all. But I did want to see my mom and dad, and they wanted to spend some time with John. We visited him just after lunch. Mom brought a tiny birthday cake, and the four of us sat outside together in the sunshine.

John had colored a little monkey from one of the coloring books someone brought him. As many of you know, "Monkey" has always been his nickname for me. Seeing that simple picture brought me to tears.

Later, John and I took a walk by ourselves. I could tell he was feeling a little sad. Through his writing, he told me that Kevin had visited earlier, that he'd been awake since 5:00 this morning because he couldn't sleep, and then he reminded me of something that completely amazed me. He remembered that he had scheduled someone to repair our refrigerator on July 25—after we were supposed to return from our San Francisco vacation. He wanted to make sure I canceled the appointment. I still can't believe that, through everything his brain has been through, he remembered that detail.

After saying goodbye to my parents and heading home, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. So I turned around and went back to the rehab center just so I could spend more time with him and snuggle for a while.

Then came one more surprise.

John got up, found a notepad, and drew the floor plan of our house. Piece by piece, he communicated that there is a birthday present hidden in the closet of the green room. He wants me to bring it to him tomorrow so we can open it together.

I don't know what the future holds. Some days this whole experience still feels surreal. People keep telling me how strong I am, but the truth is, I don't feel strong. I'm simply doing what anyone would do for the person they love.

John is my home. He is my best friend. He is my everything.

So maybe this really is a happy 50th birthday after all.