Young and Old

I shared last week that in some ways this could be the month of the young, with all the awareness days for children in September. But that’s not all, it’s also the month for Alzheimer’s awareness.

I think it’s appropriate because in a way, Alzheimer’s turns people back into children who need special care. I’m not sure if I’ve shared this or not, but my grandmother had Alzheimer’s.

She came to live with us so we could care for her. I was still pretty young, but my sisters were in high school and one came to be her companion. She got some money from the government and like a child, the day it came in, they would go for candy. Sneaking through the woods and the apartment complex at the end of our neighborhood, they would walk to the local Tom Thumb and get penny and nickel candy.

It was something we did as children whenever we got hold of some money and could get away. She left us and eventually went into a home to care for people with Alzheimer’s.

Now I wish I had spent more time with her. It’s the regret of youth. We don’t know how precious time is until we are older.

I have wanted to do an Alzheimer’s Awareness walk for several years in memory of my grandmother but it’s never worked out. This year the walk is October 12 just a couple weeks away. I have another friend who is experiencing Alzheimer’s with her mother right now. I think I’ll ask her if we can walk together.

If you want to know about walks in your area, go to the Alzheimer’s Association website, where there’s a map for the United States listing all the walks for each state. Some were this month, but many are still to come in October and November.

You can also put “End ALZ” as your Facebook picture. I did. It’s something small to raise awareness of this dreaded disease. Glen Campbell stepped forward to share his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s with the world. Please share your wisdom, strength, and hope with each other this Alzheimer’s month. God Bless!