Letters About Literature Home >> 2008 National Winners and Honorable Mentions >> Level
1 National Honorable Mention: Sarah Startz
LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE
Letters of 2008 National Winners and Honorable Mentions
Level 1 National Honorable Mention: Sarah Startz
Dear Mrs. Park,
When I was four, my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As
a young girl, I could accept people the way they were; I saw no difference
in him. But that can't last forever, and by the time I was eight, I loathed
my grandpa. I dreaded our family dinners and would lock myself in a backroom
to hide from him. I relished the idea of him going to a nursing home, and when
he finally did, I was definitely a happy person.
I admire the way Jake, from The Graduation
of Jake Moon, accepted Skelly, even when he knew Skelly was not the same way he used to be.
I never fully reached that point. Whenever I went with my grandma to visit
my grandpa, I would wait in the lobby of the nursing home. I was bored and
wished I did not have to come. But one time I changed my mind. I went upstairs
to my grandpa's room.
I remember walking down the hall of the nursing home holding his hand;
I felt like I was four again. My heart was warm as I looked into his puzzled
face. I saw a great man hiding behind the eyes of confused nursing home occupant.
He loved music as much as Skelly loved woodwork. He was a strong, sturdy man,
who knew all the best places to eat on a road trip. I was proud of him.
That was the last time I saw him. I wish I could go back in time and say
that I was never humiliated by him, that I never felt anger or fear or hatred
toward him. But I did. And now he's gone, so I try to forget the bad times
and hold dearly to fond memories. Each little memory is a snap shot in time,
a day at the fishing pier, riding shotgun, partners in crime, and holding hands
as we walk down a hall. Now I know what it's like to love someone and resent
him at the same time. I just wish I had learned to love him sooner.
Sincerely,
Sarah Startz
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1 National Honorable Mention: Sarah Startz |