One of the most overlooked holidays just may be Grandparents Day.
It’s not a new holiday, but besides a tiny spot on the calendar and a small section of cards in the stores, not much attention is given to this holiday that celebrates these very important family members.
It was 40 years ago when Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Former President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation on August 3, 1978.
The purpose of Grandparents Day is “to honor grandparents and to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children.” Notice that the celebration works both ways: grandchildren honoring their grandparents, and grandparents honoring their grandchildren.
Having grandparents is something that I missed out on. Since my parents had me later in life (at the age of 40), all of my grandparents had passed away by the time I was around six, so I don’t have any memories of them. I do have some pictures of them holding me which I cherish with all my heart.
They say you can’t miss what you didn’t have, but I actually did. All my friends had grandparents and I felt that void from an early age. Both my parents were the youngest in their families of seven siblings, so I was blessed with lots of aunts and uncles. While nothing could take the place of grandparents, it was a blessing to be loved by so many family members.
The closest thing I had to grandparents was one of my mom’s sisters and her husband. Before she had grandchildren, my “Nanny Dot” as I called her, was more of a grandmother to me than an aunt. My uncle Ken was also one of the sweetest men ever.
We lived about 30 minutes from them when I was growing up, and she and my mom were very close. We would visit them almost every weekend. They had a pool at their house and always had sweet treats. She remembered my birthdays and always gave me gifts at Christmas, so it’s exactly what I imagined grandparents would do.
As I’ve gotten older and had kids of my own, one of the greatest joys of my life is seeing my kids with their grandparents. They have a bond like nothing I’ve ever seen.
My parents (Ma & Pop) live just over 70 miles away from us on a farm near Carbon Hill. I’m the youngest in my family and my kids are the last two of their eight grandchildren. They get so spoiled whenever we visit them. They get loads of attention, lots of sweets, and plenty of love.
My in-laws (Grandma & Grandpa) live near the beach in South Carolina, and we usually only see them twice a year, but our kids love spending time with them and know how much they’re loved. They get taken for special outings, one-on-one time, lots of surprises, dessert every night, and late bedtimes!
If you live near your grandparents, do your best to celebrate the holiday by spending time with them. They would enjoy your presence much more than a present.
If you don’t live close, be sure to send them a card to let them know you’re thinking of them, or call them via FaceTime.
Many schools have Grandparents Day events, so check and see if yours is having anything special they can come to.
There are lots of great ideas on Pinterest on things you can do or make for them.
If you’re still lucky enough to have your grandparents around, make sure to mark September 9th on your calendar and celebrate them!
Love this post (and loved the reminder!). I was lucky enough to grow up with all four grandparents until almost college. And my boys are so loved by all four of their grandparents now. So we will definitely be working on some crafts for them. Thanks for the pinterest link to some ideas.
Comments are closed.