When we got the call from Alzheimer’s Los Angeles – we knew this non profit marketing project was going to be meaningful, maybe even magical.

As with each participant, I would call them a week before and discuss details – then I would follow up a day or two before to confirm our arrival time etc.

The night before Gudrun’s filming I called her as I did everyone else and she immediately starting telling me about how she like to garden and loves being outdoors -loves riding her bicycle.

She then went into describing how she biked around the world with a group many years ago. Oh, wow I said, my best friends mom growing up did the same, I had never heard of anyone else doing such a thing and I always thought it was so amazing.

The next morning we arrived at Gudrun’s home. She was a lovely German woman with a heavy accent and invited us into her home. Soon after she showed us a quilt she made out of the T-shirts she collected along her year long biking journey around the globe.

That’s incredible I said…

What year was that trip? It was the 2000, Gudrun said. What? Chills ran down my spine, just as they are doing now… Do you know Joan Irwin?

Gudrun looked at me with an “I can’t believe it kind of look”, Joan was my best friend for the last 25 years she said!!!

Joan Irwin had just passed away only months before. Gudrun and I both had tears in our eyes. We looked at each other and instantly embraced. It was so heartfelt.

Joan was such an enormous influence on me growing up, she was so adventurous and had the courage we should all be in awe of.