As most Grandmothers do, they love their grandchildren. Especially when seeing them perform well on something they like to do. With my Grandmother, this was no exception. My Grandmother and I love the sport of bowling. When I was young, on Saturday mornings I would have a youth bowling league that I participated in. No matter what the circumstances my Grandmother always seemed to be there watching me from the stands. My Grandmother who has played the sport for many years always discussed the proper way of bowling to me, but I would not always listen. This is where my Grandmother would start to boil, like a hot kettle on the stove. As she would explain it, she would emphasize techniques from the stand, which was just her way of shouting,

"Keep your arm straight!"

"Follow though!"

"You're never going to get a 300 like that!"

"Don't give up!"
These to me at the time were embarrassing but they were very powerful. Growing up and learning from my mistakes, I realized that she had never gave up on me. Perseverance and practice were the key to success. As she always said,

"Keep your ears open and keep your mind clear."

When she came to live with us, this was the beginning of the downfall of my Grandmother's mental state, she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This was one of the biggest changes of my life. I had known my Grandmother to be always very sharp, but this was just a pure shock. It was the start of my first year in high school and I could tell from my own experiences that caring for someone that is suffering from a unforgiving disease like Alzheimer's is a twenty-four seven job. My Grandmother was one to wander, somedays outspokenly, and others very pronounced, this was the most difficult part of my job. When my Grandmother wanted to leave the house, we left. I would walk miles with her until my legs would literally want to come off. Some days my Mother and I would just drive with her for many hours, just to see something. This is how we kept her calm.

In one specific memory, a few days before my Grandmother passed, she entered a state of extreme hyper-activeness, as commonly known as a 'mania.' It was the night before exams, and in the dead of night she was awake. I was by myself at the time, my Mother was at work.

What should I do! I need help! The only thing at the time I knew was her favorite movie, 'Forrest Gump.' My Grandmother loved Tom Hanks and just about every movie he was in. This was it, I stayed with my Grandmother and watched 'Forrest Gump' over five times until she fell back to sleep. This is where my learning of perseverance from my Grandmother help me get though this situation. My Grandmother was always was keen on perseverance and never giving up. She always said,

"Everything will soon better and everything will return to normal."

I kept this in my mind every time I was with her. She never gave up on me, and in return I never gave up on her. That is one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned from my Grandmother.

To pass it on, I want to educate people on the effects of this disease, to share share my stories and to help comfort others that may have a loved one with this devastating disease. I also want to create a support group, based on the principles I have learned from my Grandmother. Never opting out even when you just think you cannot do this anymore. Just when you have reached the point of no return just think,

You are almost there, keep going, things will get better...