narrative

My grandmother lived with Alzheimer’s disease for years. And for years, my family and I would say things like:

In 1902, 16 years old and alone, my grandmother set sail from Cork, Ireland, to a new life in America. She landed in New York and found work as a maid with a wealthy family whose physician suggested she train as a nurse. She didn't have a high school diploma but talked her way into nursing school.…