| In my ap english 11 class, we have
an assignment to write a personal
memoir. we have to write about an
experience in our life and how it
effected us. i'm usually
pretty good at essays, but this was
really difficult. any help at all
is deeply appreciated!
growing up, i immensely enjoyed
listening to the old fairy tales my
grandmother would often share with
me as i was being tucked into bed.
i would always smile approvingly
when she concluded with, “and
they lived happily ever after. the
end.” looking back, i wish now
that her own story was that simple,
that she could get her “happily
ever after” ending. while
thinking of her and looking out
into a sea of familiar faces, i’m
grateful merely because i can
recognize each and every one of
them. i’m thankful also because,
unlike my dear grandmother now, i
know who i am. my grandmother, lula
may vanuken, is a victim of
alzheimers disease. to explain it
briefly, alzheimers disease is a
brain disorder in which results
severe memory loss and interferes
with daily life. unfortunately, it
is a progressive and fatal disease
for which there is yet no cure.
watching my grandmother, a woman i
grew up with, struggle with this
horrible disease has made a
profound impact on my life today
and forever. i have learned to
cherish every moment i spend with
my loved ones. i have learned to
tell them, before it’s too late,
what they mean to me. most
importantly, i have learned to look
past all the negativity and stress
in this life, and cherish every
moment given to me. through out the
course of my grandmother’s
alzheimers, my personality has been
altered and molded to help make me
into the person that i am today.
by the time her dreadful illness
was discovered, i was no longer a
young child. at the age of
fourteen, i had outgrown her fairy
tales. however, our relationship
had not changed much over the
years. she was still the wise woman
i would often look to for both
advice and consolation. she was my
frequent life saver in the sea of
choppy, angry waves life often
threw at me. slowly, i begin to
notice her faltering memory. at
first, it was subtle: forgetting
where she placed items, forgetting
the day of the week, and other
common mishaps frequently chalked
up to old-age. eventually, it
worsened and interfered with even
minimal, routine activities such as
cooking. for example, one day she
asked me where she had put the
flour as she rummaged through her
kitchen cabinets. i had to lead her
to the cabinet in which she had
always placed the flour for as long
as i could remember. soon after,
she was asked by my family to make
a doctor’s appointment for this
growing problem and she reluctantly
complied. however, no one expected
the doctor to sit us down and
gravely explain to us that she had
developed an early stage of
alzheimer’s. after this, i
remember watching her even as she
cooked and cleaned, always ready to
assist should she forget something.
i still remember the tearful voice
in which she requested, “maybe
when i get really sick you can help
your mother take care of me.” it
was from that day forward that i
felt our roles slowly but surely
change as i became used as a
frequent babysitter and caregiver.
sadly, it wasn’t long before the
effects of this disease forced her
into an assistant living center.
while it was relieving to see that
she had help, it was also
disappointing to see her stubborn
independence begin to slip away.
along the with the rest of the
family, i took turns watching and
attending to her. unbelievably, we
grew even closer together. before
long, we knew each other like a
reader does his or her favorite
book. at a young age, i found
myself slowly discovering what
family members should mean to each
other: unwavering support and love.
however, it was not even a full
year before her alzheimer’s begin
progressing at a sudden, alarming
rate so much that the doctors
ordered constant supervision for
her. unfortunately, my family had
trouble finding a residence in
which she could stay. due to all
their demanding jobs, no one in my
family was available to give her
the supervision that was needed.
eventually, it was arranged that
she would stay with my family.
during the day, since i was on
summer break, i watched her until
my mother arrived home from work
which was usually around six in the
evening. for the duration of my
summer break, i became her main
care-giver. it wasn’t long until
we fell into a daily routine. my
grandmother, who i frequently
referred to as ‘granny’,
normally woke up between five and
seven in the morning. i would rise
from my bed as soon as i heard the
wheels of her walker going down the
hallway and proceed to make her
breakfast: coffee and cornflakes
with two teaspoons of sugar. at
this time, i would also give her
her medicine and take care of any
other needs she may have. after
this, we sometimes would sit
outside and talk or help each other
with the household chores. once she
would tire of this, i would
normally take her into the
Your essay is actually excellent as is, but here are a few small suggested changes.
Growing up, I immensely enjoyed listening to the old fairy tales my grandmother would often share with me as I was being tucked into bed. I would always smile approvingly when she concluded with, “and they lived happily ever after. The end.” Looking back, I wish now that her own story was that simple, that she could get her “happily ever after” ending. While thinking of her and looking out into a sea of familiar faces, I’m grateful merely because I can recognize each and every one of them. I’m thankful also because, unlike my dear grandmother now, I know who I am. My grandmother, Lula May Vanuken, is a victim of Alzheimers disease.
To explain it briefly, Alzheimers disease is a brain disorder WHICH RESULTS IN severe memory loss and interferes with daily life. Unfortunately, it is a progressive and fatal disease for which there is AS yet no cure. Watching my grandmother, a woman I grew up with, struggle with this horrible disease has made a profound impact on my life today and forever. I have learned to cherish every moment I spend with my loved ones. I have learned to tell them, before it’s too late, what they mean to me. Most importantly, I have learned to look past all the negativity and stress in this life, and cherish every moment given to me. THROUGHOUT the course of my grandmother’s Alzheimers, my personality has been altered and molded to help make me into the person that I am today.
By the time her dreadful illness was discovered, I was no longer a young child. At the age of fourteen, I had outgrown her fairy tales. However, our relationship had not changed much over the years. She was still the wise woman I would often look to for both advice and consolation. She was my frequent life saver in the sea of choppy, angry waves life often threw at me.
THEN, GRADUALLY, I begin to notice her faltering memory. At first, it was subtle: forgetting where she HAD placed items, forgetting the day of the week, and other common mishaps frequently chalked up to OLD AGE. Eventually, it worsened and interfered with even minimal, routine activities such as cooking. For example, one day she asked me where she had put the flour as she rummaged through her kitchen cabinets. I had to lead her to the cabinet in which she had always placed the flour for as long as I could remember.
Soon after, she was asked by my family to make a doctor’s appointment for this growing problem and she reluctantly complied. However, no one expected the doctor to sit us down and gravely explain to us that she had developed an early stage of Alzheimer’s. After this, I remember watching her even as she cooked and cleaned, always ready to assist should she forget something. I still remember the tearful voice in which she SUGGESTED, “MAYBE when I get really sick you can help your mother take care of me.” It was from that day forward that I felt our roles slowly but surely change as I BEGAN TO FUNCTION AS a frequent babysitter and caregiver.
Sadly, it wasn’t long before the effects of this disease forced her into an ASSISTED living center. While it was A RELIEF to see that she had help, it was also disappointing to see her stubborn independence begin to slip away. Along the with the rest of the family, I took turns watching and attending to her. Unbelievably, we grew even closer together. Before long, we knew each other like a reader does his or her favorite book. At a young age, I found myself slowly discovering what family members should mean to each other: unwavering support and love.
However, it was not even a full year before her Alzheimer’s begin progressing at SUCH a sudden, alarming rate that the doctors ordered constant supervision for her. Unfortunately, my family had trouble finding a residence in which she could stay. Due to all their demanding jobs, no one in my family was available to give her the supervision that was needed. Eventually, it was arranged that she would stay with my family. During the day, since I was on summer break, I watched her until my mother arrived home from work, which was usually around six in the evening. For the duration of my summer break, I became her main care-giver.
It wasn’t long until we fell into a daily routine. My grandmother, who I frequently referred to as ‘Granny’, normally woke up between five and seven in the morning. AS soon as I heard the wheels of her walker going down the hallway, I would rise from my bed and make her breakfast: coffee and cornflakes with two teaspoons of sugar. At this time, I would also give her her medicine and take care of any other needs she MIGHT have. After this, we sometimes would sit outside and talk or help each other with the household chores. Once she would tire of this, I would normally take her into the [cut off here!] |
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