Happy Grandparents Day to our residents at Givens Gerber Park who claim the name. Older adults inspire, mentor, and shape the future of younger generations, and when one is a grandparent, those roles feel even more significant. Our Administrative Coordinator, Doris Gant, reflected on her own grandparents and the impact they had on her life growing up. She shared her words in our internal newsletter, The Connector, and it was too special not to share with our wider community:

They are our family historians, our babysitters, our childhood allies and sometimes, our “parents.”  We call them a number of names such as Papaw and Mamaw, Grandpa and Grandma, Mee-maw and Pappy.  And the grandparents who come from the “old country” who stuck with their native language were Jewish “Bubbes,” and “Zaydas,” Spanish  “Abuela and Abuelos,”  Italian “Nonno and Nonnis,” etc. Whatever we called them, they were often our greatest supporters.

I was fortunate enough to spend a significant amount of time with both of my European grandparents — British and Italian — while growing up. They always made my sister and I well aware of where we came from.  They filled our heads with stories of the childhood of our parents and we got to have the real picture of what our parents were like at our age.  It was certainly enlightening.

If I needed a hug, they were there.  If I needed to complain about my folks, they listened.  They always wanted to see my report card and I got money for “A’s. “If it was lower than an “A” they bolstered me up by telling me that the teacher was too hard on me, but maybe I could work a little harder.  No judgement from them.

I never realized how much of an influence they were on my childhood.  I miss them all every day.

If you were lucky enough to be a grandparent, you are very special.  You may never know how much you have contributed to your grandchildren’s view of life.  Your special day is Sunday, September 8th.  Give your grandchildren a call — even if they never call you enough.  Tell them how lucky you were to be in their lives.