Ten Years from Home

Ten years ago my mother, Rita Enright, died of Alzheimer’s Disease. This photo from Christmas 1959 shows her on the left, my sister Marita, and my Dad, who died two months ago.

I picked this particular photo because this is the tenth year that my sister, Marita, has been walking in the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk in Pittsburgh. She started a team called “Remembering Rita” and has faithfully raised money every year to help find a cure for the disease that took her mother and mine. I’m not sure why I never joined her and her family in walking. I had pretty good excuses. I have two boys of my own. It was during the school year at a very busy time. It’s 350 miles away. I made my donation. There are probably other reasons, and maybe they’re good. I don’t know.

Last year, when I finished Four Years from Home, I decided to donate the proceeds from the book to benefit the Alzheimer’s Walk and to finally make the walk this year with my sister and her family. Here’s the photo of us as we started the walk. I"m in the back on the left wearing my Dad's cap.

 It was a long trip to get there and it rained all day, and a long tiring ride home across Pennsylvania, but I’m happy that after ten years from home, I made it and I hope my Mom and Dad know that.