Word-High July: Gunita

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Suzanne Gunter McClendon

Please visit here to learn more about this 30-day challenge.

july-4

This word at first glance makes me think of my maiden name – Gunter. Then, it makes me snicker because they are not at all the same.

Wedding_Grandma-and-Me

Grandma & Me

This word also holds a great deal of fear for me.  My Grandma Spence had Alzheimer’s.  This disease/condition is a memory stealer.  As I understand it, it affects one’s short-term memory first. This is scary to me because I am having trouble with short-term memory more and more lately.  I will be in the middle of a sentence and forget what I am saying.

Long-term memory has always been an issue for me.  I have very little in the way of memories of various events in my childhood.  There are things that I should remember, but I just don’t for whatever reason.  I am afraid of the possibility that I also am on the Alzheimer’s road.  I don’t want to forget even more than I have already.  I don’t want to forget who my husband and children are.  I don’t want to forget who I am.  If I forget who I am, then I have forgotten those that came before me.  I don’t want to forget.

And I don’t want to be forgotten.

Jessica Andrews sings “Who I Am”

I am because they were.

Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

Please also visit Rosema at Word-High July – Gunita.

Disclaimer: These Filipino word images are from an article by Isabelle Laureta on BuzzFeed titled “36 Of The Most Beautiful Words In The Philippine Language”. All credit goes to them.

About Suzanne Gunter McClendon

I am a South Carolina native, but have been living on the Texas Gulf Coast for 17 years now. David and I have been married for almost 38 years. Our children are grown. We have two grandchildren and one on the way. I try to learn something new every day. My obsession is genealogy/family history research.
This entry was posted in WordHighJuly, Writing Challenges and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

18 Responses to Word-High July: Gunita

  1. rosemawrites says:
    July 4, 2016 at 3:00 am

    Oh dear Suz. Let me give you a hug! ❤ *huuuuuuugs*
    Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your thoughts openly. I've read a book about Alzheimer's. It's Still Alice that was also turned into a film with Julianne Moore. It shows the ugly side of the disease, but it is also empowering. ❤
    I will pray you'll not forget, dear. Because I believe you'll never be forgotten. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • celticmama36 says:
      July 4, 2016 at 4:38 am

      {{{Hugs}}} Thank you, Rosema. I appreciate that very much. You’re so sweet. ❤ I remember very well how some others treated my Grandma Spence. Once, when I was talking to her, a person told me, “You don’t need to talk to her. She doesn’t know what you’re saying.” It was like they thought my grandma had ceased being a person. I was so mad at this person and hurt so very much for my grandma. If I could have had her come to live with me, I would have in a heartbeat. There was no way for us to get her in and out of our house because of the stairs and we would have had to fight some of her children to gain custody of her. The courts would have sided with them. They put her in a nursing home on her 76th birthday. She died alone there 16 days later. 😦 Thank you for the prayers, Rosema, and your friendship.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Lilet says:
    July 4, 2016 at 3:39 am

    Thank you for recognizing Filipino words. Hugs, Lily

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Davy D says:
    July 4, 2016 at 4:16 am

    Suzanne, lovely words on a very difficult subject.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. maria says:
    July 4, 2016 at 6:34 am

    Thanks indeed for a beautiful and inspiring take to the prompt. This served as a reminder to everyone as well to cherish every moment with our loved ones. ❤ I wish you the good health and I pray that you never get to experience such thing… 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. shaunkellett says:
    July 4, 2016 at 2:05 pm

    Alzheimers surely is terrible, as is anything that affects the mind. At least, these days, we have a better way of preserving ourselves. We can immortalise ourselves with our words online… Never to be lost. I have faith you’ll make it there safely! We all have memory blips, especially when we’re writers and thinkers. A great and touching use of Todays prompt.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. pilch92 says:
    July 4, 2016 at 8:34 pm

    That is a scary thought, but don’t worry yet. You probably just have a lot going on, I noticed I do that too sometimes. Happy 4th!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • celticmama36 says:
      July 4, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Thank you. Some other folks have suggested the same as you have, too much going on, too much stress, etc. I sure hope that is all that it is. I’m sorry you have this problem sometimes, too. Happy 4th to you as well. Thanks. 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  7. Sharmishtha Basu says:
    July 6, 2016 at 4:02 am

    Alzheimer’s is truly a scary disease

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment