Dear Grandma,
First, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for picking me up from school in your little green car, always parked around the corner in the exact same spot so I could find it right away. Thank you for always having two homemade cookies, some Cheetos, and a coke ready for me every time I came over, for making sure I got my homework done. Thank you for playing basketball with me while telling me how you played on the team while being under five feet in high school. Thank you for giving me the most kind and hard working man I know, seven aunts and uncles, and fourteen cousins. You built an empire, Grams. You will never know how much all of us appreciate you for that.
Next, I want to remind you of something you never let me forget, you are beautiful. You are beautiful in every sense of the word. Not only do you have the most beautiful smile and piercing blue eyes, but you have the biggest heart out of anyone I have ever met. Every time you see me you tell me that I am beautiful, but what you don’t realize is that I have your nose, your mouth, and your ears. I am a piece of you and I could not be more proud of that.
You have so many beautiful, wonderful, and amazing things in your life, but you also have Alzheimer’s. When I found out you were diagnosed, I was away at school. I feared that I would come home and you wouldn’t remember who I was, but that was not the case at all. You seemed exactly the same. Time passed, and you had good days and bad days. I didn’t see any of this because I was at school, but the few times my dad would FaceTime me when he was with you, it made my day.
No one should have to lose their memories because memories allow us to live without being afraid to move on. I know you are scared and confused, and I know each and every one of us would do anything we could to make that go away if it were possible, but we can’t. All we can do is try to make you happy, to give you the love that you deserve, which is much more than all 22 of us can give, no matter how hard we try. We can make the best of the good days, and try to make the bad days better.
Your memories may fade, but your presence in the world will not. I will always think of you every time someone gets my order wrong because of the time you made me wipe mustard off my burger with a French fry instead of asking for a new one. Your cookies will always be made because you gave Brit the recipe framed as a wedding gift, and I can promise you that none of us will be able to think of anyone but you when we see someone in a matching sweat suit. You have taught us all to be patient, kind and loving. Although you may not be able to do everything you used to, every single time we do an act of kindness, it will be thanks to you because you imprinted that value in us. You have and continue to make the world a much better place.
I know things aren’t the best for you right now, but I just want you to know one last thing. I love you, and not just the you that gave me more cookies than I was allowed to have, not just the you that would iron every single piece of clothing I brought when I would spend the night. I love the you that says silly things that I don’t always understand, I love the you that you are now, and I will always love you because you will always be here through each and every one of your sons, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Your memories may fade, but the love that is given to you will only grow each and every day.
Love,
Your youngest granddaughter
