Today, September 7, 2014 is National Grandparents Day!

“Grandparents Day?” you say. Or so I can imagine you saying. To yourself. With raised eyebrows and a slightly dubious sideways glance at your screen.

Yes, Grandparents Day is a “thing”, as folks say nowadays. Actually it’s more than a thing; it’s a tradition in the United States ever since 1978. Apparently Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia is credited with jumpstarting the holiday.

Marian McQuade

Yes, Grandparents Day is a “thing”, as folks say nowadays. Actually it’s more than a thing; it’s a tradition in the United States ever since 1978. Apparently Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia is credited with jumpstarting the holiday.

McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth in the community… about the important contributions seniors have made throughout history. She also urged the youth to “adopt” a grandparent, not just for one day a year, but rather for a lifetime.

In 1973, Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV) introduced a resolution to the senate to make Grandparents’ Day a national holiday. West Virginia’s Governor Arch Moore had proclaimed an annual Grandparents’ Day for the state, at the urging of Marian McQuade. When Senator Randolph’s resolution in the U.S. Senate died in committee, Marian McQuade organized supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in all fifty states. She urged each state to proclaim their own Grandparents’ Day. Within three years, she had received Grandparents’ Day proclamations from forty-three states. She sent copies of the proclamations to Senator Randolph.

In February 1977, Senator Randolph, with the concurrence of many other senators, introduced a joint resolution to the senate requesting the president to "issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as ‘National Grandparents’ Day’. Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents’ Day and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation. The statute cites the day’s purpose: “…to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer”. (Wikipedia)

So there you have it – from Wikipedia, the collective wisdom of millions (including, no doubt, millions of grandparents) – a basic introduction to the grandest of national holidays. But let’s see if we can’t find an even more commanding authority to shed a little more light on National Grandparents Day. How about the Commander-in-Chief, Barack Obama. Here’s a Grandparents Day proclamation from the President of the United States:

Barack Obama on Grandparents Day

Each year, we pause to salute the grandmothers and grandfathers who strengthen our families and shape our Nation.  Through decades of hard work, they have broken down barriers and blazed pathways for the generations that followed, and they continue to provide inspiration and support to their children and grandchildren.  On National Grandparents Day, we honor the anchors of our families and recognize the immeasurable ways they enrich our lives.

[pullquote]Our grandparents have built better lives for their loved ones and a better future for our country.[/pullquote]

With grit and determination, our grandparents have built better lives for their loved ones and a better future for our country. From battlefields to factory floors, their relentless pursuit of progress has created new opportunities and madeAmerica more equal and more just.  They have ushered in revolutionary advances in science and technology, putting us at the forefront of innovation.  And they have shared in some of lifes most cherished memories — from small moments to personal milestones — and been a source of comfort in difficult times.

Across our country, grandparents continue to contribute to their families and communities in countless ways.  They volunteer in their neighborhoods, and for more than 5 million grandchildren, they serve as the head of household, providing unconditional love and support.  Their tenacious spirit, commitment to family, and sense of service remind us that after a lifetime of hard work, they deserve to retire with security and dignity.

Today, we pay tribute to our grandparents and all the older Americans who have reached across generations and played an important role in our lives.  With profound gratitude, we celebrate all they have accomplished and given to our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 7, 2014, as National Grandparents Day.  I call upon all Americans to take the time to honor their own grandparents and those in their community.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth. (President Barack Obama, The White House)

Eloquent man, that Barack Obama! Wise and grateful too.

With National Grandparents Day now fully in focus I encourage you to honor your own forebears today. If your grandparents are alive, show them how and why you’re grateful. Words are nice. Actions are nicer. Both combined are nicest!

And if your grandparents have already passed, then at least pause long enough to consider their contributions and to experience the gratitude you owe them.

Essex “Grandparents Day”

In closing, I leave you with yet another suggestion. A challenge, perhaps.

Let all Essex residents past and present ponder the debt of gratitude we owe our proverbial “community grandparents”, the Essex forebears who built this handsome little village and established the traditions and values that have guided our community across a quarter millennium. It seems right to slow our plow now and then to reflect upon our shared Essex heritage, and to invest ourselves in honoring and preserving those efforts which enriched our daily lives.

Accept the challenge? I hope so! Happy Grandparents Day…

Related articles

• “National Grandparents Day Video | Little Girl Explains The Origins Of This Holiday” and related posts (webtvhub.com)
• Grandparents Day 2014: Quotes and Sayings for Holiday Celebrating Grandma and Grandpa (theepochtimes.com)
• Remembering Grandparents Day (commdiginews.com)
• National Grandparents Day deals: Meal deals & discounts celebrate grandparents (examiner.com)
• Grandparents Day (foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com)
• Celebrating Grandparents Day with a Q + A with Cathy Alba (destinationmaternity.com)