Simple stuff

Driver, William III age 68, passed away from complications of Alzheimer's on Friday, August 7, 2020. Preceded in death by his father. Survived by his loving and devoted wife, children, mother, brothers, many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. Bill was born March 3, 1952. He enjoyed golfing, vacations, time with family and friends. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and outgoing personality.

This was the obituary that was written for my Dad last August, 2020. To be honest, this obituary didn't even scratch the surface of my Dad's legacy, but how can a snippet in a newspaper possibly tell a story of a mans life for the past 68 years? It can't.

My Dad was more than just someone who, "enjoyed golfing, vacations, time with family and friends; someone who will be remembered for his sense of humor and outgoing personality". My dad was a million+ wonderful things, so I decided that instead of honoring my dad with just my words, I wanted to honor him with my actions as well. This will be my tribute to him! Let me tell you about my new hobby...

I make purple ribbons for Alzheimer's Awareness that keep my Dad's personality traits, talents, gifts, and memories alive!

The picture below is where it all started, just me in my kitchen with ribbon, some scissors, and an idea to bring awareness to a hideous, heartbreaking disease: Alzheimer's. As you can see, there is a picture of my Dad, my sister, and I on the table because I always like to have him with me and in front of me when I'm doing my projects. He is even wearing a purple bow-tie in the picture, and I like to wear my purple robe...can you see the theme here?! So here I go, cut...cut...cut the ribbon with my scissors.

When I am done cutting the ribbons, (which I buy from any local craft store or big-box store), I then lay them out in a line. I use a black sharpie - usually a finer point because the ink bleeds across the ribbon - and begin writing words that describe my Dad on each one. In this case below, I used the word "Kind", because my Dad was so kind to everyone he met. When I look at the ribbon, I want to remember specific memories about my Dad. This brings me joy on top of the pain of the purple ribbon and it reminds me of specific instances where he was such a giving, kind-hearted man.

Once I am done writing the specific word about my Dad on the ribbon, I fold it and either use a straight sewing pin to pin it, or use a hot glue gun. I like using the straight pin because it is easier to wear, meaning I could attach it to a shirt, or bag, etc. If I use a hot glue gun I usually do so to create a larger project with the ribbons, like sticking them on a frame or vase. My main goal, though, is to pass these out to family and friends so they can show their support, as well as raise awareness on September 21st for World Alzheimer's Day.

So far, I have made several ribbons that say things like:

Athlete, Father, Funny, Charming, Talented, Salesman, Friend, Focused, Organized, Intelligent, Brother, Husband, Mentor, Coach, Son, Carpenter, Creative, and the list goes on and on. My goal for September 21st is to have at least 200 ribbons to be able to give away, but I will never stop making them because my Dad has so many more qualities than just 200.

I want everyone reading this to know that my Dad was more than just his Alzheimer's Diagnosis. He was diagnosed at 60 and died 8 years later at the young age of 68. He worked so hard everyday to provide for his family and was looking forward to retirement, but in the end, that unfortunately wasn't the bigger plan. I want my Dad to know that I will carry on loving him, but I will also dedicate each day to him, even through this simple hobby.

I kept this short and I kept this simple for you Dad, because whenever I would overthink or you would teach me a life lesson you would say:

"It's simple stuff, Mare, simple stuff"

If you would like to read the poem I dedicated to my Dad, you can find it on my page titled "My tears may be purple, but they aren't unique". It follows the same theme of purple, Alzheimer's, hope and loss.

I hope all of you have a hobby you enjoy as much as I do! Thank you for being a part of my story.

Mary Driver - 2021