In Honor of Grandparents | Their Lives & Legacies

Every year, we celebrate Mothers Day and Fathers Day. But did you know that there is actually an official Grandparents Day each year as well? Until recently, I had heard of it, but I did not realize that it is an official observance initiated in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter.

That year, he issued Proclamation 4580, which designated Sunday, September 10 as National Grandparents Day. The following year, he established an annual observance of National Grandparents Day as the first Sunday after Labor Day. Since then, it has been customary for each President to issue an annual proclamation designating that day and calling on Americans to observe National Grandparents Day with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Maybe your grandparents live close by, or maybe they live far away. Maybe you never had the opportunity to know them, or maybe you are not even sure who they were. In any case, you carry a part of them inside you. It could be your hair or eye color, your cheekbones or the shape of your nose. It could be your sense of humor or your strong work ethic, your fierce love for your family or a fire in your belly to fight for what you believe in or to defend the underdog. Maybe it’s a talent for music or art, a love of cooking or an inclination toward sports or all things mechanical. Whatever it is, I encourage you to celebrate the good things you have inherited from your grandparents.

As this Grandparents Day approaches, I also want to encourage you to reach out to your grandparents, if they are still living, and thank them for what you have learned from them and what they have handed down to you. Here are some ways to celebrate this year:

• Send a handwritten note or card to them.
• Visit them and take a favorite meal or dessert.
• Sit with them and listen to some of the music they liked when they were young.
• Record an interview with them, asking questions about what life was like when they were your age, what America was like then, what their parents taught them, who their favorite actor or singer was, how much things cost back then, etc. This can become a part of an ongoing family legacy record.

If your grandparents are no longer living, you could:

• Visit their grave, place flowers and reminisce about their life and what they meant to you.
• Do one of their favorite activities in their honor,
• Listen to their favorite songs or watch their favorite movie(s).
• Cook up their favorite dishes in their honor, or visit their favorite restaurant.

Want to bless an honorary or “bonus” grandparent? You could:

• Have the kids put together something special for them.
• Write them a heartfelt note telling them how much they mean to you and your family.
• Ask them to teach you how to do something they are good at (crocheting, gardening, working on cars, fixing things around the house, etc).
• Adopt a grandparent at a local nursing home, especially one who has no family or whose family is far away. Visit them, take small gifts, ask questions and get to know their story,

Generational relationships are a priceless treasure, and it is important for us to cherish the time we have with those who have lived, loved, served and paved the way for us to live the lives we enjoy now. And perhaps, most importantly, to let them know their value and worth while they are still here.