Around the second Sunday each September, our communities recognize and celebrate a treasured holiday: Grandparents Day. It may not have the same familiar ring (or extensive card section) as, say, Mother's Day, but at our communities, it's a pretty big deal.
While no two communities celebrate Grandparents Day the same way, each finds a way to acknowledge and observe the special multigenerational bonds of family. This year, Bradford Square in Naples, FL will host the Balloon Buccaneers, artists specializing in balloon sculptures who have been recognized for their talents by Disney World. Residents and their families will also watch Beauty and the Beast in the theater togethert.
Cahaba Ridge in Vestavia Hills, AL is also showing a movie- though they're going a little more old school: they'll be screening Walt Disney's 1941 version of Dumbo. Large quantities of ice cream are also on order.
National Grandparents Day became official in 1978, when Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation stating the day was to fall every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. According to the Legacy Project, a cross-generational research group, the purpose of Grandparents Day is threefold:
1. To honor grandparents
2. To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children
3. To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer
In the original proclamation, President Carter wrote:
"We all know grandparents whose values transcend passing fads and pressures, and who possess the wisdom of distilled pain and joy. Because they are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations." Read the full proclamation here.
