A touching new commercial from Chevrolet is pulling at the heartstrings of Americans this Christmas season. The ad highlights the struggles of individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families’ difficulties.
The five-minute-long commercial, “A Holiday to Remember,” begins with a family Christmas gathering. It features an elderly man and his daughter, who speak about the declining mental health of the man’s wife, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
“There’s some days she doesn’t even recognize me,” the man laments. But overhearing the conversation, the elderly couple’s granddaughter gets an idea; she decides to take her grandma out for a spin in their blue 1972 Chevrolet Suburban.
“Let’s make today a good day,” she tells her grandmother.
As they drive around town, her grandmother slowly regains some of her memories from long ago.
Pulling into a drive-in movie theater, the young girl gently reminds her grandmother that this is where her now-husband first kissed her.
“No, I kissed him. He was far too shy,” the grandma replies, before realizing and proclaiming, “Bill! I need to see Bill!”
You can watch the full commercial below:
One X user said, “Thank you Chevrolet for the tears of joy.”
“Tears are streaming down my face,” another commentor wrote, “I was smiling and crying, at the same time.”
USA Today notes that the ad was created in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association “because most importantly, the commercial showcases what people living with Alzheimer’s and their families go through, especially around the holidays.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 55 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, while 6.7 million Americans ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. By 2015, the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to double.
The organization explains that Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease but is an overall term that describes a group of symptoms.
The Chevrolet commercial serves as a great reminder that families – and warm family memories – are precious and underrated gifts. Each family is unique, and every person has his or her own uniquely favorite family memories.
Our culture is intensely materialistic; it values property and possessions above all else. But we should all remember to prioritize faith, family and friendship – those things that last – above our own material gain, especially during the Christmas season.
We can’t take any of our material possessions with us when we die. All our wealth will be left behind.
But we can take our relationships – both with God and our families – with us.
It was missionary martyr Jim Elliot who once wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
And Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:19-21,
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (ESV).
Besides our faith in Jesus Christ, a good family is the most precious gift of all.
This Christmas, try not to focus too much on gifts and gift giving. Rather, focus on what truly matters: the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ – and spending quality time with those we love.
Dr. Gary Chapman and Lisa Anderson appeared on the Focus on the Family Broadcast to discuss the challenges families face when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. They offer encouragement to caregivers and practical suggestions for showing love and support to someone with diminishing mental capabilities. You can listen to “Loving Someone With Alzheimer’s” by clicking here.
Related articles and resources:
Counseling Consultation & Referrals
Loving Someone With Alzheimer’s
Living With Alzheimer’s Disease
Photo from YouTube.
