(A variation of this article was posted last year... just as relevant today)
One of the wonders of the internet is the acknowledgment of all sorts of commemorate days for all sorts of events, occasions and well, stuff! Just in September, you have National Cheese Pizza Day , National Fight Procrastination Day (which you can celebrate during the weekend if you wish...or not) and in coming days this month, National Chocolate Milkshake Day, International Talk Like A Pirate (or Keith Richards) Day on the 19th and National Dogs In Politics Day! You can check here for a list of days this month (and the rest of 2015).
While some of these holidays acknowledge meaningful events and causes, most are amusing and somewhat silly. But there is one that hits home and is very close to my heart. This Sunday is National Grandparents Day. Here's the back story from, yes...grandparents.com!
Back in 1970, Marian McQuade, a West Virginia housewife, came up with the idea of a day set aside to encourage families to visit their elderly relatives. With a firm resolve to make it happen, she began lobbying policymakers. McQuade got through to her Senators, Jennings Randolph and Robert Byrd, who introduced a resolution to make Grandparents Day a national holiday. It took a while to reach the White House, but finally, in 1978, the resolution declaring National Grandparents Day as the first Sunday after Labor Day, was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter.
Both my wife and I have had the good fortune of becoming grandparents early in our lives (49, in my case) and have found it to be among the most extraordinary events of our lives. I've truly enjoyed taking part in each of our 4 grand-kids' lives ( 2 of them just started to walk!) and I know they have as well. Grandparents are vital parts of every family and old or young, they should be treasured.
As family photographers, we should make an effort to capture grandparents and their unique role in our families. Think back of a beloved grandparent and a favorite photo of him/her that brings back precious memories just by gazing at it. Allow future generations to have that special feeling as well. To help you out, the kind ladies at iheartfaces.com just posted 16 Inspiring Grandparents Photos along with other ideas on how to take photos of your grand (or even great) parents that will be treasured by future generations. This article by Laura Gaskill on houzz.com can help you with active ways you share and appreciate the grandparents in your family (make sure to take lots of pics along the way). And, finally, if there's a grandparent that suffers from Alzheimer's or a related form of memory loss and can no longer recall the name of their grandchild, or may no longer remember that they have a grandchild? Here's a wonderful article by Rita Altman from The Huffington Post that covers tips to make not only Grandparents Day, but any day spent together, extra special for the grandchild and their grandparent with memory loss.
You don't need a special day to acknowledge your grandparents so take a moment to do so anytime..and take some pictures to mark the occasion. And don't forget to celebrate National Creme-Filled Donut Day on the 14th!