2 minute read
Celebrating Grandparents’ Day
Our Community feature by Sheila Turner-Hilliard
Photo courtesy of Kelly Petras
Whether your name is Grandmom, Mom-Mom or Nana, Pop-Pop, Gramps or Nonno, there’s no denying that in the eyes of your grandchildren, you are simply the best! Though most grandkids would say that every day should be Grandparents’ Day, we pause to officially celebrate you on Sunday, September 12th.
The idea for Grandparents’ Day began back in September 1969, when nine-year-old Russell Capper sent a letter to President Nixon, asking that a day be set aside to celebrate grandparents. Russell did receive a letter back from the President’s office, thanking him for his suggestion. But Russell was told that it could not be done unless a Congressional resolution authorized the President to make it official.
Then, in the early 1970s, a woman from West Virginia named Marian McQuade started a campaign to officially dedicate a day for our beloved grandparents. She worked tirelessly with governors, senators and members of Congress to ultimately have Congress pass the legislation and have President Jimmy Carter proclaim National Grandparents’ Day an official holiday. The first Grandparents’ Day was celebrated in September 1979, 10 years to the month after Russell Capper’s letter.
To honor and recognize the special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren, we asked our Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors about their experiences, memories, traditions and unique connections they share.
Beth and Tom Barnes with their grandchildren, Colin and Connor Petras
When it comes to special bonds, eight-year-old Connor Petras and his five-year-old brother Colin literally can’t get much closer to their grandparents.
Babby (Beth) and Poppy (Tom) Barnes said that the best part of being grandparents is having more time to enjoy and interact with Connor and Colin without having the work and stress of being parents.
“Babby loves to have dance parties and play games with me,” Colin gushed.
Connor said that Poppy is THE BEST baseball coach and loves to take him fishing.
Both boys laughed when they said that going places with Babby and Poppy is so much more fun because they always get us extra treats. That must be a grandparent thing!
No matter the physical distance between grandparents and their grandchildren, there are many ways to celebrate this month. Today’s technology makes communicating face-to-face a simple reality. Grandparents can share stories about what life was like when they were kids, their hopes, dreams and family history. Grandkids can learn from their grandparents’ wisdom and experiences and share their own stories, accomplishments and plans for the future.
Grandparents’ Day doesn’t have to be limited to blood relatives either. One of Marian McQuade’s goals in creating this holiday was encouraging younger generations to “adopt” a grandparent in their community or local nursing home. She stressed that the benefits are mutual: Building solid relationships boosts social connections, helps ward off depression and provides a loving and healthy environment.
Grandparents Day is an opportunity to treasure that connection and spend some quality family time together. Making an effort to spend time together — even if it’s just talking — is often the stuff that future fond memories are made of!
