Saturday, September 10, 2011

Walk to End Alzheimer's

Today was our Long Island Chapter's Walk to End Alzheimer's.
Courtney walked with her friends.
Brandon walked with his friends.
I walked alone.
My friends who have walked in the past could not make it today, and for the first time in MANY years, I walked by myself. I wasn't really sad, because I knew I had many people with me in spirit. I may not have had a friend physically walking next to me, but I had their love and support with me. I also realized that this walk symbolized my future, the kids going their own way, me on my own.
This year the Alzheimer's Association had a new feature for the Walk. Upon entering the walk site, each walker was given a flower pinwheel. Purple symbolized those who LOST someone to the disease, yellow, for those CARING for someone with the disease and blue for those SUFFERING from Alzheimer's Disease. We could write our thoughts, memories or prayers on them and as we began our walk, we handed them to volunteers who in turn "planted" them so when the walkers came back, the garden would be in full bloom
The picture is of the Promise Garden at our walk. It was beautiful!

1 comment:

Sheryl said...

Karen, the flowers are so neat. We had this at the Walk to End Alzheimer's here in Oklahoma. My dad was diagnosed at 48 and died at 56, and I was 22 when he past away. This disease is a very hard ugly road to have to travel. You are not alone. Thank you for having this blog so other people can see what this disease is about. You are a special person to be able to do what you are doing for your husband and children. I learned that from watching my mom, she had to be.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sheryl