Posted 9-26-19
Another Walk to End Alzheimer’s is in the books although I feel confident you can still make donations. We laughed, we cried, we panicked for fear of rain and we sighed in relief when it left. It was an amazing event as always! Thank you Amy Temple and Ethan Forhetz and the many, many folks who worked Walking magic.
Here are 10 things I gleaned from this year’s event:
- Alzheimer’s is bad…really bad. OK…I already know this, but when you see a sea of smiling faces, still with tears in their eyes, fighting every moment to hold back the flood of grief, it is easy to see that we fight a dirty foe.
- Age isn’t everything. Sure, the biggest determining factor of whether you will get Alzheimer’s is age, but that doesn’t mean it is the cause. I know many 80-100 year-olds who are doing quite well, thank you very much! They are doing “Better than I am” well in the least . Repeat after me: Alzheimer’s—is—not—a—normal—part—of—aging! We were all made better by the opportunity to see Wonder Woman at the event. Not the invisible jet one…no… a much stronger one. We met a beautiful 27-year-old wife, mom, servant and leader who has recently been diagnosed as the youngest person on Earth to have Alzheimer’s disease. Pause and pray for a cure with me right now…I can wait…
Still praying? No hurry….
Oh, writing her in your long-term prayer journal? Good idea.
(Que meditative music to pray to…)
(Que some Chris Tomlin perhaps?)
(Still praying? Thank you.)
- Genetics isn’t everything. While there are a relatively low number of folks who have the highly genetically-transmitted versions of dementia, there are many cases of it everywhere. We met another Wonder Woman at the event who has lost 75% of her family tree to the disease. Her response? Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we shall die? Nope. Not even close! This soldier has made many, many trips to St. Louis and elsewhere undergoing clinical trials to help find a cure. She, I assure you, will NOT go down without a fight! I couldn’t be more proud of her!!! Still praying? Good…keep it up.
- The battle is joined! There were hundreds and hundreds of walkers! If you do a quick Facebook or Google search, there are similar walks in nearly every big city, and some small ones. In each, money was raised along with hopes for a cure. We will slay this multi-headed beast! pray for them too…
- The lost lived on through the masses of people. I have heard many stories lately about the past life (before Alzheimer’s came) of many, many men and women. When you carry your loved one’s flower, whether they have dementia now or have passed away, they live on for all to see through you. Thank you, brave walkers! You matter! I will pray for you now.
- I am reminded that my family misses the old version of mom too. It is so easy for sinful ole me to wallow in self-pity and only think of how mom’s condition is making me sad and forget that we have dozens in our family that feel the same. I love my family. 🙂
- I made a lot of friends and met a lot of folks. That is one of the joys of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s! It could be renamed “Walking Together to End Alzheimer’s, because we all share a common bond.
I love my family!
- Sometimes we walk, sometimes we fight, and sometimes we dance!
- There is strength in numbers! Build a care team. Join someone’s care team. Share your experiences. We have to stick together and help each other. This event reminds me of how possible that is! We are not alone. Pray for each other too.
- Better treatments, a vaccine, and hopefully a cure are coming soon! The event raised well into the six figures and the combined walks throughout the world will raise in the 9-10 figures. Add to that the wonderful corporate sponsors like Edward Jones, DairiConcepts, and a bunch more found here who have contributed lots of folks’ time and $. There are many, many solid politicians who see this as not a red or a blue political problem, but a purple bipartisan one. Celebrities everywhere are joining the fight! We are all agreeing in a collectively loud voice that we need to beat this thing! And that we will!
Update: Mom slept my entire visit yesterday. I am not sure if she missed a nap, got her schedule off somehow, had a wrong med, or what, but she slept my visit away. Allow me to reiterate: It doesn’t matter how much she remembers me, how much she participates, how happy or sad she is to see me…I will be there. I still remember her. I participate. I am happy to see her. Fight the excuses. I know it is super hard, but fight them. It is worth it. They are worth it. I am praying for you.
#EndALZ
