Grace D., 79, is an active resident at Chambrel at Club Hill in Garland, TX who loves to give back to others in her community. Since moving to Chambrel at Club Hill, she has connected with staff members and other residents through her passion for knitting, crocheting, and through her religious faith. Her Wish of a Lifetime was to go to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC.
Grace was an elementary school teacher who taught bible studies for many years of her life. She loved sharing her religious passion with children and seeing children become involved in the church. At her community, Grace organized knitting and crochet lessons once a week for the other residents. She loved taking the lead on these classes because it connected her to her past career of teaching.
Grace’s passion for her religion grew when she attended Billy Graham’s First Crusade in Dallas as a young teenager. A few years later, she was able to hear him speak at her church, and she could not help but be amazed at how his presence filled the room. Graham quickly became Grace’s favorite evangelical preacher. According to Grace, he has never wavered from his teachings and rules, which is something she deeply admired. Over the last few decades, Grace has tried to arrange several trips to the Billy Graham Library in North Carolina, but the plans have always fallen through. Therefore, it became her Wish of a Lifetime to one day visit the museum that’s dedicated to her favorite evangelical preacher.
Thanks to Brookdale and Wish of a Lifetime, Grace’s dream was fulfilled on April 13th, 2014, when she traveled to the Billy Graham Library in with her son. During her visit Grace received a private tour lead by the Library’s historian. They went through the museum’s galleries, prayer garden, and dairy farm. The historian pointed out many details within the Library and shared stories of Billy Graham. As the tour came to an end Grace had the opportunity to meet Graham’s niece. The Library’s lobby was filled with the sound of “Amazing Grace,” which was the song Grace used to wake her children in the morning. This experience was one that Grace will not soon forget.
