Day 5- Why Alzheimer's Association

So I thought I'd dedicate at least one entry to each of the charities that I am donating to. I'll start with the Alzheimer's Association. The reason this is so near and dear to my heart is because I watched Alzheimer's slowly chip away at my Grandma Ollie for over ten years. It not only destroyed her mind, but it scarred my family in ways that we still haven't quite recovered from.

I think of being a kid and all the great memories of my Grandma Ollie before she started slipping away. She taught us how to catch butterflies, she played cards and dominoes with us, she was a camping machine, there was always something made out of about 90% sugar baking in her oven, and she was ALWAYS laughing, smiling and loving. Always. She was the kind of lady who didn't care where you came from or what your story was, she loved you anyway. She was deeply spiritual and committed to her faith in a way I almost envy. She had a love with my Grandpa Bethel that I have never seen anyone else I know come close to.

The thing that makes Alzheimer's so hard is as these wonderful qualities were taken away from her, her body stayed. We became strangers to her and she became a stranger to us. There is no greater torture than being able to see a person you love every day and know that with each passing moment, they are becoming a shell of themselves. It was hard as a young girl to see what this disease did not only to my Grandma, but to my Grandpa, my mom and other close relatives. If it wasn't for my Grandpa's renewed interest in music, I don't think he could have survived as many years after she died. God love music. Synonyms.

For these reasons, I think the Alzheimer's Association is a worthy cause. I don't want to see families experience this kind of pain forever. And, yes, I'm being selfish, this stuff is genetic!