Annie Camden quotes from 7th Heaven

Ginger

About 3 months ago, I started noticing some changes in Charles' behavior.

Annie

What changes?

Ginger

Difficulty in buttoning his shirt, trouble saying certain words, feeling lost in familiar places, misplacing things, and, uh, so we went to see the doctor.

Annie

And?

Ginger

And after a battery of tests your father was diagnosed as being in the very early stages of Alzheimer's. I couldn't tell you this over the phone, I just couldn't. And so I just, um, hopped on a plane and headed here.

Annie

Are you saying my dad has Alzheimer's?

Ginger

I'm afraid so.

Charles

I just walked away for a second. I made a mistake. I'm sorry.

Annie

We have to talk about this.

Charles

There's nothing to talk about. I'm fine. I really think that you're overreacting.

Annie

Dad, you almost set the house on fire!

Charles

I do not have Alzheimer's!

Annie

Dad, don't be afraid. You don't have to go through this alone. I'm here, Eric's here, the kids, Ginger...

Charles

I don't have Alzheimer's! End of discussion!

Annie

Dad!?!

Eric

How's your father?

Annie

In denial, just like I was.

Ginger

We're gonna make sure that dad gets the best medical care possible.

Annie

That's not the problem. The problem is getting him to except the fact that he has to deal with this. You see, I'm afraid to leave him alone. You saw what happened with the barbecue. But if he doesn't believe that there's anything wrong with him, it's hard to convince him that he needs someone when I'm not there. I mean, what if... he takes off again? What if he goes somewhere and forgets how to get back home? Or he forgets what his name is?

Charles

I didn't know I was scaring everyone. I'm sorry. It's just that if I agree with the doctors that they're right, then I have to start facing up to this thing. And I don't know that I can.

Annie

We're gonna get through this. We are. You're not alone.

Mary

Where's breakfast?

Annie

You take cereal, you take the milk, you pour it into the bowl, it's not rocket science!

Annie

Are you sure it was Lucy?

Eric

Oh, it was Lucy all right. They were just making out right there on the street. They don't even know each other. She just met him. Frankly, this is not the kind of behavior I'd expect from a National Merit Finalist. I can only guess where the other two were.

Annie

They were probably watching the movie. Why is that so hard to believe?

Eric

If the younger brother has the nerve to make out with Lucy right on a public street, then it scares me to think of the brother who was arrested is capable of.

Annie

You're out of your mind, you know that?

Eric

Maybe, but it doesn't make me wrong about this.

Annie

We've got to hope that we raised our daughters well enough that they're doing anything more than kissing. But I think we have to expect the kissing.

Eric

And you're happy about this, aren't you?

Annie

I'm not thrilled. But I'm not going to drive myself crazy. They've got make their own decisions. We can't make the decisions for them.

Simon

We figured if we told you that we were buying cigarettes, you wouldn't let us buy anymore, and our project would be ruined.

Eric

If you knew we wouldn't approve, maybe it wasn't the best project to do.

Well, we did show how easy it was for kids to buy cigarettes.

Eric

What were you planning to do if you got caught buying the cigarettes?

The person selling the cigarettes gets in trouble, not us.

Eric

You guys didn't do your research. It's a $75 fine and 30 hours of community service for minors caught by buying cigarettes. Besides that, you're saying that you were willing to let the guy who sold you the cigarettes get into legal trouble, just so you could get a good grade on you social studies project?

Simon

But those people are killing us by selling us cigarettes. Not us, technically, but kids who smoke.

Annie

It's a very interesting project, but it's also a project that could've have some serious consequences for other people, as well as you two. And who wants to tell of how actually smoking the cigarettes you bought fit in.

Simon

We were expanding the project, you know, going from the thrill of buying the illegal project to the thrill of smoking it. Plus, when you make something so bad, it makes it irresistible, too.

Yeah. It's like when we had the cigarettes, we couldn't help ourselves. We had to smoke.

Simon

Even knowing all we know about smoking and how bad it is. Sorry.

Sorry too.

Annie

I'm afraid you're going to have to throw out your project and start over.

Simon

Is that our punishment?

Eric

What do you think?

Annie

I think you better tell me what's going on.

Lucy

Ruthie's new teacher has been calling her stupid. She asked me not to say anything, but...

Annie

She called her what?

Annie

Ruthie says you asked the class who the first president was, and when she answered Abraham Lincoln, you called her stupid.

Miss Riddle

[chuckles] No. I didn't say that. I told her that her answer was stupid. There's a difference.

Annie

She's eight. She doesn't know the difference.

Miss Riddle

Ah. I think I see where this is coming from. Every parent wants to believe their child is perfect. But in reality, most of the time the apple just doesn't fall far from the tree.

Annie

Did you just call me stupid?

Miss Riddle

I think it's time for you to go.

Annie

I'm not going anywhere.

Miss Riddle

Don't make me call the principal!

Annie

Oh, go ahead, make my day! Call the principal. Go ahead!

Annie

Nothing justifies calling a child stupid. Nothing.

Miss Riddle

You have your opinion, and I have mine.

Annie

Yes, but your opinion is wrong!

Annie

Well, it turns out there was no mistake. Miss Riddle has been calling Ruthie stupid.

Eric

What?

Annie

Yeah, and when I confronted her about it, she acted like it was nothing.

Eric

Unbelievable.

Annie

She called me stupid, too.

Annie

Do you know why I got so mad at your teacher?

Ruthie

Because she was mean to me?"

Annie

Yes. But also because when Ms. Riddle hurt your feelings and made you feel like you weren't smart, then school and learning became a bad thing. And if that happens enough, it won't be long before you don't like school at all. And that would be wrong. Because learning should always be enjoyable. And school should be like this safety zone where students not only learn about the stars, but reach for them as well.

Ruthie

[about Sam and David's birthday] Why can't we just celebrate it today so we can keep Valentine's sacred?

Annie

Because Valentine's isn't sacred, but the birth of those boys was sacred, so the importance of their birthday outweighs Valentine's Day.

Ruthie

I'll be sure to let Hallmark know.

Eric

A young woman came into my office, and she just...appeared quietly at my door, and then...she couldn't bring herself to tell me why she was there. And it's just driving me crazy because I know she needs help. You know, maybe she was abused, maybe somebody hit her. Maybe she's a runaway. Maybe she's pregnant or---maybe she has one of 1,000 other problems, but I don't know. If she doesn't come back I'll never know. She just seemed so fragile. I didn't want to push her for a conversation because if I had she just would've run off. As it was, she disappeared, like, in the blink of an eye. I think I've seen her someplace, you know, but I can't...place her.

Annie

Does she go to school with Mary and Lucy?

Eric

She could. She's the right age. I don't think I recognize her.

Annie

Well, you could scan the yearbook...oh, but then you already have!