Turkeys and Memories

I have been thinking a lot this week about my grandmother. I think this month's writing prompts are some of the reason since she played a central role in many of my childhood memories of favorite foods, recipes, and family meals. I was lucky that we often lived near my grandparents and were able to form a strong relationship with them. I feel sad for children who do not have the benefits of an extended family. It seems to me somewhat lonely.

We lived downstairs from my parents when we were first married so our two oldest girls got to spend a lot of time with them. Sadly, I lost my mom when our girls were still fairly young so they didn't have the opportunity to talk with her about the things teenage girls like to talk about. Our girls were fortunate to live near my husband's parents though. For a time, they were able to see them every afternoon when they walked down the hill to their home after school while I finished up at my office. These opportunities are priceless in strengthening the bonds between generations, mutually beneficial to grandparents and children alike.

The times I spent with Grama were priceless. As I've written about in this blog, she is the one who taught me to bake and can. She also taught me to sew and crochet. Skills I have passed along to our girls with varying levels of success. Our youngest isn't keen on needlework but she is great a cake decorating. The oldest and middle girls love to do needlework. They all love to organize events and now take on most of the responsibility for preparing our family holiday meals. As I write this post, the delicious and spicy aroma of a Virginia spiral ham is wafting from the kitchen. It's spot in the oven will be taken by a sage seasoned turkey tomorrow.

Long before death took our grandmother from us, Alzheimers disease had stolen her memory. It was hard to notice at first, Grampa covered up for her I think, helping her to take care of the house, reminding her when she forgot to shut off the stove. Once he passed away, this terrible disease went into full attack mode and left a wonderfully talented and vibrant woman a mere shell of her former self. By the time my mom, her daughter, passed away, she would often confuse the two of us during a visit. In a way, this was a blessing since learning that she had lost a child would likely have depressed her further. That following summer Grama had a massive heart attack and slipped away quickly. She was finally at peace.

On Thanksgiving weekend each year in Calgary there is an Alzheimer's Walk and Run that raises money to help support families affected by this sad and debilitating disease. Thank you to all of those who participate, volunteer and support this terrific initiative.

I am lucky to have my memories and the ability to share them with my family. I look forward to the day when not one more family loses a member to Alzheimer's Disease.