Because She Loves Her Grandma and Grandpa

Two participants in the Generous December Group Writing Project gave me great gift ideas.  Erika at The Practicing Writer highlighted the Blue Card, an organization that offers help and support to the elderly survivors of the Holocaust. Over at Stamping Mad, Katelyn auctioned off a Cherished Memories Fat Book in aid of Alzheimer’s research.

I wanted to buy a Hanukkah present for my friend Rachel, but I was too slow off the mark. I hope she’ll forgive me because I am going to say some nice things about her right now. When I think about why I like people as individuals, I often think of traits like they are loving, they live life to the fullest, they’re funny or interesting.

All of those things certainly apply to my friend Rachel, but there is one more trait that I learned about her quite quickly. She loves her grandparents. She worries over their health, she helps take care of them, their pain is her pain. I am convinced that their well-being and experience in old age is constantly on her mind. Her devotion to them is endearing. And a good example.

So, to honor Rachel’s love for her grandmother, I gave $10 to the Alzheimer’s Association that benefitted from Katelyn’s auction. To honor her love for her grandfather, I gave $10 to the Blue Card that Erika wrote about.

Rachel, I wish you and your family all the best for 2008 and for generations to come.