As well as can be expected

People have sayings, a lot of the time, whether it’s their own or something they picked up from a movie. In my case, you can usually expect to hear “You’re killing me, Smalls” on a regular basis.

There are other movie quotes thrown in there in on occasion, but I don’t really have one of my own, at least not one that’s an original.

My grandma, though? She’s got tons.

On any given day at any given time, no matter when you ask her how she’s doing, the answer is 9 times out of 10, “As well as can be expected for an old lady.”

If it’s winter and she’s coming in from being outside? “Baby it’s cold outside.”

I’ve heard her say maybe 3 curse words my entire life, meaning instead of saying things like, “What the hell?” she says, “What in the Harry’s?”

She’s short, very short, and we’ve been convinced for some time that she’s shrinking, or maybe because we’ve all grown and she hasn’t at all. Now, when she’s around exceptionally tall people – like, according to my sister, a random guy in an elevator at the hospital – she’ll say “How’s the weather up there?”

She’s friendly. Most of the time.

Last time my grandpa was in the hospital and I took her to visit, when we came back to their apartment, there were a group of older ladies sitting outside. She said, “Are you all behaving yourselves?” When they said they were trying to, she said, “Well that’s not much fun, is it?”

There are more, plenty more, like when she said something on a meal we ate once at her house was all “gripsly.” Or when she talks about the weather and if it’s hot, sometimes she’ll say “humdidity”

A lot of the time we can make a good guess of the things she’s going to say, other times there’s no telling. And I like it that way.

My grandma’s a feisty little thing. And she’s doing pretty well – as well as can be expected for an old lady. She does, however, have Alzheimer’s. While we’re pretty lucky that she’s still somewhat independent and knows who we all are, others aren’t as lucky.

In just two weeks, me, my family and friends, and the families and friends of others with this disease will be walking in honor and in memory of those we love who suffer from Alzheimer’s. We’ve raised a lot of money and received a lot of support.

I’m proud to be working with others as we do our part to help in the effort to find a cure.