The personal impact of this Nun Study data came home to me one afternoon in Bill Markesbery's office as Susan Kemper and I laid out our findings for him. Unexpectedly, Bill didn't ask us technical questions about our statistical and linguistic methods. He looked directly at Susan and said, "What does this mean for our children?"
The question caught me off gaurd. But when I saw the look on his fce, I realized that he was speaking as a father, not a sceintist. Bill has three grown daughters, and it was clear he wanted to know whether he and his wife, Barbara, had done the right things as parents.
"Read to them," Susan answered. "It's that simple. It's the most important thing a parent can do with their children."
Snowdon Ph.D., David. Aging with Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives. Bantam Books, 2001. ISBN 0-553-80163-5
My article: Alzheimer's Prevention by Reading?
LOVED this!
ReplyDeleteOh, how I hope it's true.
My mom read to me, I read to my kids, but I highly doubt that my grandmother read to my mom.