Before the Alzheimer's Disease robbed us of our Dad...robbed Dad of himself...he was smart and witty, always ready with a funny retort or clever pun, a silly face, or hilarious antics. He was my hero, my confidant, the first person I asked for feedback on my writing starting when I was 5 yrs old... He loved playing tennis and was a wonderfully patient instructor; he was an avid crossword solver and word game ponderer, a lover of art and music...a prolific reader...all of which he readily shared with us. Dad loved every animal, spoke with openness and honesty, and accepted everyone for themselves. You could talk about anything and everything with my Dad--absolutely anything...and we did...my friends did...his friends did...strangers did. No matter where we were or what was going on, if you needed him, he would make himself available. He was an exceptional listener, with exceptional intuition. 

Dad always emphasized to me the importance of staying in the moment, of "just being" (sure isn't easy in this world). I can hear him reminding me that “whatever you're doing or experiencing now, focus on that. Whomever you're with, focus on them.” Focus on the what or the who that is right in front of you, at this moment. You can focus on/think about the next thing when you're done. If you’re playing tennis, play tennis. If you’re writing a story, write. I think about that many times each day. 

Family always came first for my Dad. I miss him terribly. Every single day. He died March 15, 2021, but I started missing him way before that—years before—when Alzheimer's first began stripping him of his amazing personality. We have to stop this disease. No one deserves to go through this.

I'm participating in this year’s Alzheimer’s Association “Walk to End Alzheimer’s, to help raise funds and awareness to advance the fight against this devastating disease. The funds help the Alzheimer’s Association continue to provide 24/7 care and support while accelerating critical research.

There are so many of us—families, friends, folks from every walk of life, from all over the world—who also have faced, are facing, or will face Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Let's band together now to fight this horrible disease. Please make a donation or register as a participant and start your own fundraising. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s disease.

Thank you!