Happy Friday, friends. You may have seen on Facebook that I started up a fundraiser to raise awareness and some money for the Alzheimer’s Association. I know that in an inflation-ridden economy around the holidays with loved ones who need help, donating to a national charity might not top the priority list. I’m not here to guilt anyone into donating…If you can spare a little to help raise awareness and fight this horrendous disease, I would appreciate the gift. If not, thanks for reading anyway…that’s what the our friends community is all about.
The Challenge
The gist of the “Challenge” is to post a photo every day in December to represent how powerful memories are and to raise awareness and some money for the battle against these Alzheimer’s and dementia. One of the other people who signed up came up with this list of categories/inspiration for the photos. I intend to follow this as I post my daily photos to relive those memories and to support the case. You can see the images on my Photo-A-Day Challenge Fundraiser page on Facebook.
Why This Activity?
So why did I sign up for this challenge? I don’t have any close loved ones who have/had these diseases. But, while not on par with the devastation of Alzheimer’s or dementia, I actually suffer from memory deficit as the result of some aggressive therapy for bipolar disorder. I’ve been open about my disorder for a few years now hoping to break down the stigma associated with mental health issues.
So, I can relate to the loss of memory. Memory is a wonderful and bizarre thing. There are years of my life – years of my kids’ lives – that I no longer have memory of. It’s sad because I can’t get those memories back. I can relate to the decline in memory function and how painful that is.
I often tell photography clients or prospective clients to take LOTS of pictures of your life whether they hire me to do it, hire someone else, or take them themselves. The point is that these pictures document things that in the future will be cherished memories of your story! When I think of things like our trip to Disney World when Emily was about 5 or CJ’s Pop Warner football experience…things I don’t remember in detail…I do get a flicker of remembrance when I see photos of those times and others like them.
So, this seemed like a very appropriate activity to do in December as it resonated with something I already believe in and might do a little good along the way.
Hug your family and friends. Send them that text to let them know you’re thinking of them. And when you’re together, take some pictures. Those images may be life-savers someday.
Sending light and love,
