Family Visits

Today I went to Frankfort, KY to visit my grandparents aka: Granny and Pappy. They're my mom's parents. They both have Alzheimer's. I remember going to visit them growing up but don't have real specific, vivid memories of them. The same goes for my dad's mom: Gram. However, as an adult I'm able to learn things about their lives and of their families, things I didn't care about much as a kid. But as an adult, I am so curious about my family and their families and history. I know more about my dad's side than  my mom's so I used today as an opportunity to gain some knowledge about Granny and Pappy's families. I learned Pappy's maternal grandmother passed away when his mother was 2 and his father remarried. I also learned my Pappy's dad worked for a gas company. My granny's paternal grandfather worked with lumber and had indoor plumbing in the early 1900s, quite a statement for that time period.

I live only 110 miles for 1 hour and 30 minutes from my grandparents and I have lived in Cincinnati for 11 months. This is the first time I have been down there to visit them since I've lived here. That's a horrible record. I don't know what took me so long. For a while I was hesitant because of the Alzheimer's and I didn't know how to interact with them. Which looking back is really irrational. I've worked with a few patients that have Alzheimer's/dementia pathologies. Why should it be any different with my grandparents? They are my family. I have a responsibility to them. Just the simple fact of taking them out to lunch and to Walmart made their day. They no longer drive and are home all day just the two of them with little visitors except for Barbara who gives them their medicine twice a day.

I started a bible study a few weeks ago and one of my goals was to visit a shut-in a few times before June. I believe my grandparents are an answered prayer. Although I feel that I should still visit them regardless but I'm committing to seeing them at least once a month. It took very little to make their day, and even if Granny calls me Brielle, it's ok because they were just thrilled to have a visitor :)