Why My Dad Isn’t Walking Me Down the Aisle

When the reminders for Father’s Day begin, memories of Father’s Days past are what I cling to – memories that I know are buried deep inside my father as well. But for many years, Father’s Day has no longer been filled with his laughter or signs of pride in his children. Father’s Day also always seems to fall near major moments that I wish I could have shared with my dad: starting a job with the Governor of Virginia, finishing graduate school, and this year, getting married. When I met Graham, my father’s Alzheimer’s had already progressed enough that he

Unfinished Projects on Father’s Day

Imagine – it’s Father’s Day on Sunday, and while most people are wondering what to get for their father, you’re at home knowing that despite whatever you get for him, it will not have the same meaning. You reminisce about what your father may have wanted before everything came crashing down. You remember how your dad was a handyman before it all fell to pieces. You remember that summer you spent with your dad building a picket fence because he was determined to make the front yard perfect. I remember these little things about my dad - these everyday memories