The little things do count

I just love to hear about random acts of kindness. At the New Year, NRS Healthcare started a "Be Selfless" campaign. One of the posters suggested, "Make a cup of hot tea for someone" (shown below). That brought memories of how my grandmother would often do that for me.

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​My grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease and one of the most touching memories that I have of her is when I was visiting her at a nursing home a few years before she died. Unsure of what to say, I was attempting to make conversation although she stared off into space unresponsive.  Not expecting any reaction, I was rambling some, trying to fill silence with words. I had lived with her awhile after my grandfather died, before leaving for college. During that time, hot tea was a tradition for us. In my one-sided conversation with her at the nursing home, I happened to say that “I can’t have a cup of hot tea without thinking of you.” At that, her face lit up, she actually lifted herself slightly out of her wheelchair, and turned to me. She hugged me and told me that she loved me. I was so shocked by it, that I was speechless. Before I knew it, she had sat down and was back in a trance. I was frustrated with myself that I could not get out another word before she returned to that catatonic state, but those few seconds were priceless for me.  That is one of the reasons that the documentary, Alive Inside, (available on Netflix) ​spoke to me and why helping those with Alzheimer's disease is dear to me. See the latest facts and figures on Alzheimer's disease below.