Big Church by Sydney

Big Church by Sydney - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

It all began when I was old enough to stay in “big church” with my family. The first day I stayed in the worship service, sitting on the gold velvet covered pews in my floral summer dress, I gazed at all the people surrounding me. Although I do not specifically remember this day, I do remember the culture and warmth of my faith community throughout the past sixteen years. It was in these early years that I realized the importance and value of relationships and the way my heart is drawn to senior adults.
Coach Bain was, unknowingly to us in the beginning, a retired local coaching legend. His years at Amarillo High School made him quite famous in the local sports community, with him even being inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. His assistant coach always sat with Coach Bain on the back row. Everyone knew that was Coach’s pew except the occasional visitor. We always sat right in front of Coach, checked in on local games, and learned the latest upsets on the field. Our relationship was always conversational until his assistant coach moved out of state. It was that Sunday that my family moved back a pew to sit with Coach Bain. At the time it did not seem monumental, but it opened the door even wider for a relationship to blossom with me for years to come.
Holidays became richer. Coach Bain joined me and my family for Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, and even dining at his favorite BBQ joint Dyer’s. The waiters knew him by name and knew to bring him the “regular” with a side of ribs to take home to his overfed dogs Amos and Andy. He always joked with the cashier when he paid out and complained of the increase of food costs. We would often pick him up for events that occurred after dark. We would drop off loaves of pumpkin bread and plates of chocolate chip cookies, always remembering this picky eater did not like nuts. He became part of our family – and extension of us - and helped ease the pain of me losing my grandfather. It felt like a beautiful gift was specifically placed right in front of me to ease my grief.
We noticed his memory slipping, and he began to get frustrated and began covering his fading memory by saying phrases like, “Oh, I knew that” or “Yeah, my friend told me the wrong time.” We began picking him up for those special holiday gatherings so he would not get lost driving home or confused on how to get to our house three miles away. In April the decision was made to transition to assisted living.
In September Coach was admitted to the hospital. Watching someone you love struggle with Alzheimer’s disease is painful – seeing glimpses of them but realizing pieces are slowly lost. Around six o’clock we said our goodbyes, hugged, and he pulled me in for an extra embrace. He teared up and tearfully told me that I did not know how much I meant to him. I deeply felt those words – because he meant that much to me, too. It was six hours later that he passed – peacefully – in his sleep. Feelings of grief infiltrated my body and soul. I realized that day how much this relationship deeply impacted me, not realizing he would be taken so soon. I was apparent how deeply this local legend was loved and respected. Although he did not have children of his own, it became very clear how many students he adopted throughout this career. The impact of one man’s life rippled through our community.
Sharing love for senior adults, especially those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is a big part of who I am. I never want the memories of those we love to be forgotten or for grief to settle and never spur us forward. Send a card to their relatives on the anniversary of their passing. Make a donation to support Alzheimer’s research to local foundations. Most importantly, create awareness of this terrible disease by embracing someone you know that is struggling with Alzheimer’s. Be vulnerable enough to make them a part of your family and give them your full heart. Our world is better with our senior adults, and I hope I am making Coach proud by living life to the fullest and being the best Amarillo High Sandie I can be.