Sunday, September 9th, is National Grandparents Day. In the United States, the family unit has been the building block of society from the beginning. Families cared for and supported each member from birth to death, and were stronger by virtue of the process. As our Nation grew, the senior generation was viewed as vessels of knowledge and were called on by the rest of the family for advice and instruction in many areas of life. The older generation's life experience gives them an insight that is simply not possible without having "done the time".
In more modern times, families don't usually live in the same house anymore, but that does not mean they can't be just as close knit. The senior generation has still simply spent more time living, so naturally they will have accumulated more life experience, and yes, they are willing to share it with younger family members. Lots of people, especially the children, still look forward to Goin to Gramma's for visits, or Thanksgiving and Christmas, or birthday parties, or whatever. Grandparents and Grandchildren have historically had a special bond. A kid can confide in Grandpa sometimes when they can't seem to talk to anyone else. With a Grandparent, there are no trivial subjects, they think everything is important. Grandparents are no "better" than parents, they are just "not the same".
Today, in this "modern" day and age, things are a lot different, and still the same, all at once. One huge difference is how times and attitudes have changed. Very few families (multi-generational) live under one roof anymore, communication capability is amazing, young people are much more independent, and some say families are drifting apart. One thing has remained the same. Grandparents still have more life experience, and still love their children and grandchildren just as much. Something else has changed. Society is "evolving" in America. Some say for the better, and some disagree with that. Because Sunday is Grandparents Day, that's all we are talking about today, the rest can be discussed another time.
From the first, I must acknowledge the fact that just because someone is a Grandparent, they are not necessarily a "grand person". Yes, bad people are everywhere, but they are not everyone. Today I am talking about GOOD Grandparents.
"Grands" have often become the "soft place to land" for children who are in a bad situation. The economy is in the dumper, the divorce rate is through the roof, and many families are having a very rough time. In fact, the number of children living in Grandparent headed households is increasing every day. Often, parents are forced by circumstances to ask the grandparents to help out, or even take over raising children, just so they can do what it takes to make ends meet and pay the bills. Sometimes divorce causes children to have need of being somewhere they do not see the "battle" going on. There are lots of other reasons, and we all know what most of them are, but the bottom line is literally hundreds of thousands of children are living with Grandparents. I know a lot of grandparents. These days, most people over 45 are probably grandparents. Many could use a little assistance with the added {so called} "burden" of raising a grandchild, but I have not met the first one who refused to do it! In fact, there are a lot of cases where the grandparents are actually having to fight to keep there grandchildren when parents are no longer present. They are actually fighting the STATE to keep their family together. I will elaborate on that in another posting. Today is supposed to be a celebration of GOOD grandparents.
Celebrate and congratulate Grandparents! They are the reason you are alive.
