Location: Montrose Harbor
Date: Sunday, September 29, 2013; 8:45 am-12:00 pm
When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
“Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for
memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with
daily life. The greatest known risk
factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65
and older. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms
gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is
mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on
a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth
leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an
average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but
survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health
conditions. Although current Alzheimer's treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's
from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms
and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.
Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the
disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.” So says the website for the Alzheimer’s
Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care,
support and research. I cannot even
begin to imagine what it must be like to watch a loved one go through the
progression of this disease. To watch
them each day, knowing that someone who was once very close, now doesn't even
recognize you. Growing older together should be a joyous experience, not something which results in someone you love turning into a stranger. The Alzheimer’s
Association aim’s to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and
to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. It was our absolute privilege to be able to
support that organization today.
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed
me
When I'm sixty-four?
 |
| The Promise Garden |
According to the project description
on the One Brick website, “The Walk to
End Alzheimer's features a "Promise Garden" which is a visual
representation of the impact of Alzheimer's has on so many people's lives. Each walker is given a Promise Flower in
which they can write messages and remembrances.
One Brick volunteers will be assisting in the Promise Garden from
setting up to breaking down.” I was
the EC for today, and so arrived earlier than the check-in time to find that
Wilson, who was the EM, was already on the main green of Montrose Harbor. I got coffee and we waited for the other
volunteers to arrive. Wilson told me
that the ‘Promise Garden’ was one of
the most popular aspects of this walk, where people honored their loved ones or
showed support for the cause by planting a ‘Promise
Flower’. Our volunteers started
arriving and it was several of the regular One Brick folk including
Amanda, Irina, Kristen, Peter etc. All
assembled, we made our way to the location of the ‘Promise Garden’.
You'll be older too
And if you say the word
I could stay with you
The ‘Promise Flowers’ were colorful and mounted on sticks to resemble a
windmill. There were four colors: Blue
flowers if one had Alzheimer’s, Yellow if one was a caregiver, Purple if one
had lost someone to the disease, or Orange if one just wanted to show their
support for the cause. Our task was to
help people plant these flowers either before the walk, or after they returned
back. People collected the
flowers, and a few even came over to plant them beforehand. The ‘Promise
Garden’ was now starting to look like a colorful field. Soon the walk started and many people left, carrying their flowers with them. All we
could do now was wait for them to return.
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride
 |
| Everyone had come out to show their support |
I walked about the field and it
resembled every other walk or run event that I had participated in. There were the usual refreshments tents as
well as a section for pre-walk warm-up activities like 'Zumba'. There was a kid’s section with a Bouncy
Castle and an inflatable man who looked like a Park Ranger. There were also some clowns walking about, though that’s all that they seemed to be doing.
One of the more common things that have started happening nowadays at
events such as these is people dressing up their dogs in t-shirts advertising
the cause and the occasion. Today was no
exception and I saw several fully attired pets walking with their owners. Looks like both humans and animals had come
out to support the organization.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed
me
When I'm sixty-four?
 |
| Everyone waving their flowers |
There was really nothing much
that we could do till the walkers returned, so I went over to look at the beach
from the top of an incline overlooking the park. It was a beautiful day and I could see our budding ‘Promise Garden’ from there.
As we waited, Amanda and I discussed careers and how every job could be
meaningful if we want it to be. Our
conversation was in relation to the ‘Job
Coaching’ project that I am leading tomorrow and what I wanted to
accomplish during the session. It was
almost time to go welcome back the walkers, as well as some people who wanted
to run the course. In fact, one of the
women had come and asked me earlier if she could run and I had said it would be
fine as long as she stayed in the front!
We were all given cowbells to ring as the walkers crossed the finish
line and all of us had a great time with those.
One little girl came and asked if she could play with one and after
doing so for some time was asked to return it by her mom. I am sure that the last thing any parent
wants is for their kid’s to be ringing these constantly at home, especially at
night. However, as silly as we looked
doing this, I thought that it added to the festivities. Despite the serious
nature of the cause we were supporting, today was also about celebrating how
far we have come.
Every summer we can rent a cottage in the
Isle of Wight
If it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck & Dave
 |
| It was personal |
Now that people were back, we got
a lot of people coming over to plant their flowers and our garden started
flourishing. All the colors were being
planted, including Blue for people living with this disease. We could see several family members who were
participating together, and surrounding their loved one who was brave enough to
be out here this morning. Some of the
flowers had toppled over because of the wind and there was something poetic
about us helping replant those that had fallen down. We waited for some time as the crowd
subsided, and then started picking up the flowers and putting them in
boxes. As we did this, we saw how some
had decorated their flowers with personalized messages on the petals, or simply
names of their loved ones.
Send me a postcard, drop me a line
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
 |
| All of us in our garden |
Almost all of the volunteers went
for brunch, which was a minor victory for me as an EC, since its my
responsibility to recruit people for the after party. As we watched the Sunday NFL games on TV,
there was a lot of laughter all around.
These are times we should remember…should cherish. We often take things, even moments for
granted. But if we had learned anything
today, it is how wrong that presumption is. The fight against Alzheimer’s is ongoing, but a day will come when growing old would be as 'The Beatles' describe it. And we will all remember with pleasure that there was a day
when we stood with our friends amongst a patch of the most beautiful flowers
that we had ever seen.
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed
me
When I'm sixty-four?
Lyrics Written by Lennon & McCartney
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