National Grandparents Day
If you were like me two years ago, you groaned when a teacher (in this case, a pre-school teacher) informed parents that Grandparents Day was rapidly approaching and the students would be working on a special project to present to their Grandparents.
What! I thought, this is a thing?
There’s a grandparents day?
Just another holiday created by the marketers at Hallmark to sell more dead trees. I’ve got to run to the Post Office and make sure we’ve got some stamps.
Actually, that isn’t the case at all. Putting my research skills to use, I discovered the beautiful birth of Grandparents Day, which falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day every year. (tomorrow!)
Let me share with you what I learned.
National Grandparents Day was organized by Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, a native of West Virginia. Honoring grandparents and the role they play in many families’ lives was a grassroot effort that unfolded over nearly a decade.
This persevering lady campaigned for the day in her home state for three years before West Virginia officially recognized a day to honor grandparents in 1973. Marian McQuade then brought her campaign to the national level, relentlessly advocating for a day to recognize society’s most seasoned citizens.
In 1979 she finally met with national success when President Jimmy Carter officially designated the first Sunday after Labor Day to honor Grandparents. Mrs. McQuade loved being a grandparent; she and her husband, Joseph L. McQuade, raised 15 children. Those children in turn raised 43 grandchildren; these grandchildren raised 10 great-grandchildren. The McQuade matriarch and patriarch also enjoyed spending time with one great-great grandchild before they passed. The McQuades’ 60 years of marriage was blessed with a constant pitter-pattering of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Mrs. McQuade viewed grandparenting as a blessing and wanted to establish a day to honor grandparents everywhere. While grandparents often volunteer for the occasional parental date night or weekend away, sometimes we forget about their lifetime of experience. Grandparents exist as a connection to our past: they are a living history of our culture and country.
The official website for National Grandparents Day shares McQuade’s vision for this day, which is threefold. First, the day should honor grandparents in some way. Second, the day should provide grandparents with an opportunity to connect with their grandchildren. Third, this day should celebrate the wisdom and experience that grandparents or surrogate grandparents offer.
The legacy of National Grandparents Day is a moving one; taking a moment to honor the connections between generations is important, especially in today’s fast paced lifestyle. While the Legacy Project offers many excellent ideas for this coming Sunday, here are a few highlights to help your family plan!
The ultimate goal of National Grandparents Day is to bridge the gap between many generations; all too often modern culture emphasizes that which is “new” and “improved” rather than honoring that which is “old” and “experienced”.
Making time for the grandparents and surrogate grandparents in your family’s life this coming Sunday will certainly become a treasured family experience. Whether it’s a simple hand-created stick figure card, a phone call, or a family dinner, your effort will be noticed. Perhaps Margaret Mead, the anthropologist, stated it best: “Everyone needs to have access both to grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being.”
Happy National Grandparents Day!
After surviving ten years as a high school English teacher, Kathryn opted to create imaginary worlds and spend her days hunting for ladybugs with her daughter. She has written for ChildGood and Babies and Breastfeeding magazines as well as various sites around the web.
