family

I went to Atlanta this afternoon with my father to visit my grandmother. She has rapidly progressing Alzheimer’s, and just a few months ago my grandfather made the decision to put her into a care home. He did his best to care for her for as long as he could, but things got to be more the he and the rest of the local family could handle. It's hard seeing her slip away like this. This was the woman who ran Dekalb for years, helped to lead political campaigns, chaired committees, and mothered four sons and a daughter. She was an incredible grandmother as well. Dad just sat there with her, talking to her when she had some good moments, and helping with what he could. When the other ladies in the common room of the home got too boisterous, she sent us on our way.

The best part of the trip though was the ride with my father. The conversations we've had while driving to and from Atlanta are some of my favorite memories. Today's certainly made the trip a little easier.