National Grandparent's Day

Several years ago, Marian McQuade began a special tradition in West Virginia to honor grandparents. In 1978, Grandparents Day became a national holiday when President Jimmy Carter signed an official proclamation honoring grandparents throughout the United States of America. Grandparents Day is celebrated the first Sunday each September following Labor Day. It is an exceptional day for recognizing and celebrating our personal grandparents and the elderly in our communities. Even if you do not have living grandparents, you can utilize this holiday to acknowledge seniors in your local community. Hopefully, these tips can help you make this uncommon holiday a part of your life.

Make a Special Visit- In the event you have the time and abilities, drop by your grandparents and serve them lunch or dinner. The holiday always falls on a Sunday and practically everyone enjoys a delicious Sunday dinner. Check out some of the delicious recipes found here on Associated Content. A simple meal and a small bit of quality time will certainly make a grandparent content.

Pick up the Phone- Why not provide a loving phone call? If time or distance does not allow you the ability to visit with those individuals further up the ladder, pick of the phone and give them a call. Provide them well wishes and let them know that you are simply thinking of them on Grandparents Day. I nice conversation will always be appreciated.

Send Something- Sending a beautiful card or flowers as a tribute is an excellent way to salute our well deserved grandparents. The official flower of Grandparents Gay is the Forget Me Not flower. Of course, any type of flower or small token would readily be accepted and treasured. The ideas that I have found to be most well received are the gifts and presents that are handmade. Take the time to think and be creative in creating something that will most likely be cherished for the remainder of their days.

Visit a Facility- Even if you have grandparents who are still living, it would be a great concept to visit a local nursing home or health care facility and do at least one of two things. First, you can spend some time visiting an elderly member of the facility who does not have a family visitor on that day. Check in with the facility administration and gain the necessary clearance to visit or even adopt a surrogate grandparent. You might be very surprised to listen and learn of the stories and information that many of our community elders can share. Secondly, you can volunteer in the facility. In most nursing homes, there is additional work that can be done on a volunteer basis. Volunteering in this setting can be well worthwhile.

Overall, celebrating and participating in this little known holiday can be extremely gratifying. By recognizing our grandparents and the elderly in our community, we can certainly build a bridge of support across generations and demonstrate just how much we care.