Thanks to Pat & Darrell - why we walk

2015 marks our sixth Walk to End Alzheimer's, and we're so proud to be a part.

This year, it is our great honor to dedicate our Walk to Pat and Darrell. 

Alzheimer's can pull us apart at the seams... and then there are couples like Pat and Darrell: devoted, committed and honest in their journey. We first met 5 years ago when Darrell moved in to the senior living community where I served. Pat visited every day. We all loved to see the two of them, sitting on the couch together, holding hands. Funny, smart and dapper - that's Darrell. And I remember so fondly a lovely intimate bistro arrangement for an Easter brunch, set just for the two of them, removed from the flurry and cacophony of the larger gathering.

So many of us are fortunate to know Pat and Darrell.

Pat and Darrell, we love you both and celebrate you ~

If you'd like to donate to Team Ginger: http://act.alz.org/goto/TeamGinger 

To find a Walk to End Alzheimer's in your area: www.alz.org 

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Our elders on a journey with dementia have so much to teach us, and the onus is on us – loved ones, providers, humans – to walk alongside them in their journey, taking a philosophy of empowerment and fluidity. Having served in senior living the past 6 years (and still), it is important to connect with elders on a journey with dementia, cultivating hope within their loved ones, and building inclusive communities.

We know that dementia can be a debilitating, heart-rending journey – for the elder and their loved ones. What we hear less in society (and, sadly, in professional circles of providers) is the continued personhood of the elder (not as someone who has lost themselves but as someone who is still there). These elders teach us the life lessons of fluidity, listening deeply, and starting each moment anew.