Irma and Alzheimer: A Lesson in Living

He didn’t prepare for the storm, he is just always prepared.

We made it through. Lost power and lots of tree limbs. Insignificant compared to many others. Regardless of the impact these events always carry valuable lessons if I pay attention. Here’s one that didn’t get past me.

After the storm my father, who has Alzheimer’s and yet walks/jogs every day, was fixated on clearing the downed limbs in his yard. What else was there to do.

So two hours later, in the sweltering post storm Florida humidity, we’re raking up the last of the twigs and leaves. It then dawned on me I’ve had to rest 3 times and my 82 year old father never broke stride…not once.

I’m no Olympian but I stay active, jog/walk, take stairs, and work out. But I couldn’t hold a candle to his energizer bunny pace.

Fifty years of jogging, 5k runs, and going to the gym were not in prep for Irma, that’s just the way he lived his life. And when Irma came along, well, he was prepared.

So here’s my Irma/Alzheimer’s lesson from my dad; life has storms, I shouldn’t prepare for them one at a time, I should live a life that always keeps me prepared. Thanks dad!