Growing up on a farm has taught me to be kind and grateful for what I have and help out as much as I can. A farmer ’s life is a difficult one. They work from sunup till sundown, everyday, including Sunday. Farmers work longer hours than most, and they rarely get to go on vacation because they have to work all the time. My dad is a farmer and so was my grandpa, before he got sick. Grandpa worked the land to make his house a home with love, responsibility, and sacrifices. As he slowed down, he moved into town. Even though he moved, he was still a part of my life and the farm.
Family stick together, even when things get tough. My grandpa Jack was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He has suffered with this disease for as long as I can remember. Grandpa always wanted to help my dad out with chores, but he was starting to become a danger to himself and we were afraid he would get hurt. My dad would always allow him to do simple tasks to help him feel needed but as the years went by those tasks became smaller and rare.
Families are full of love. Grandpa was such a strong man with a gentle heart. Having six granddaughters that he could not remember, he called us all Dolly. When I was younger, I did not understand why he could not remember. I would correct him and tell him my actual name. I was young and naive, how was I suppose to know that it was not his fault? When a person has Alzheimers they tend to forget things that were once important. Grandpa would always ask me why I was not in school, even when it was summer. He would constantly ask the same questions. It is very hard to stay patient with him sometimes. I wonder how my grandma cared for him by herself for so long.
Family stick together, even when they are apart. Grandma wanted to keep Grandpa by her side for as long as possible but towards the end she was starting to get tired and worn down. The family decided to place Grandpa in a nursing home because Grandma was having a hard time helping him by herself. It was really sad to see Grandma struggle with the move, let alone see Grandpa be put in a different home--- a home without his wife, whom he had been married to for over sixty-five years.
Families stay close. When I went to visit Grandpa last, he was sitting in a chair staring off into space. We were there for only a short time, sitting in silence. I hated seeing him like that, especially when I could not help him, but it was good to be near him.
Every Sunday growing up, Grandma and Grandpa sat in the pew in front of ours at church. Once he moved into the nursing home it was not the same. Grandma sat in the church pew alone. It was like I had momentarily forgotten that he had moved to the nursing home, and would not be in the pew next to Grandma every Sunday anymore. I started to cry. I wanted him to be there. Everything felt out of place, because he was missing. He was the glue to our family, the rock to our foundation.
Every month growing up, Grandma and Grandpa’s kids and grandkids would meet and spend a weekend together. Even though Grandpa is now in the nursing home, we still try to get together. He started this tradition, and we want to keep it going. Although he no longer remembers his kids and his grandkids, we are still his family, and still want the best for him. I know in my heart that he knows who we are and wants us all to be happy and stay strong for Grandma and take care of her, like he did for so many years.
He is my grandpa. I love him with all my heart. He is what makes us a family. He taught us to care about each other. I would do anything for my family and not ask for anything in return. We made sacrifices to keep our family close. Having Grandpa go into the nursing home was one, but it has made us stronger. Even though it is not a sacrifice our family made lightly, we were willing to do what was best for him. The stories that he told when I was little will remain in my heart forever, even if Grandpa can no longer remember them. He will live on through his kids and grandchildren.
Family is forever.