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In 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be observed on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
This year the date was on September 13.
Grandparents Day invites us to reflect upon the importance of grandparents in our lives and to thank our grandparents alive or dead and all grandparents for their important role.
Some say that grandparents have the benefits of grandchildren, but none of the responsibilities. I don’t think this is always true.
The role of grandparents
Throughout history, when parents were absent or unable to raise their children, grandparents often stepped in and made a difference.
Professor Gordon Rupp, the British historian, was asked how the Church in Russia could survive the decades of persecution and communist propaganda.
His answer was, “It’s largely due to grandparents.”
The communists made the big mistake of thinking that because the Church was only full of old people it had no future. They failed to realize that grandparents have an impact on their grandchildren. The old Russian grandparents passed their faith on to their grandchildren, Rupp believed that is why to a degree there is a revival of Christianity in Russia.
Pope St. John Paul II often repeated that young persons are the hope of the future. This is true, but we should remember that our future is also in the past because older people pass on values and faith to youth.
Paul recognized this in the life of young Timothy. He loved Timothy dearly, but he recognized that this gifted young Christian disciple was not merely a product of his own making.
He had a heritage that went back to grandma Lois. She was the one who had faith in God, and she passed that faith on to her daughter Eunice, and together they instilled it in Timothy. He was not a self-made man. He was a product of a Godly heritage that came to him from his grandmother.
Some say that especially when the first baby is born, new grandparents are also born.
I fondly recall a nursing home resident named Sally whom I visited regularly. Her dream was to hold her baby granddaughter. She bubbled with joy as she told me how good she felt when she finally held her dream.
Creating wholesome memories
Unlike many busy, multi-tasking parents, grandparents have more time to create wholesome memories such as going for ice cream, telling stories, or recognizing the stars of the big dipper!
I know grandparents who enjoy their grandchildren in these and other ways. Young and old take turns enriching each other.
Children valued by grandparents tend to do better in school and to feel comfortable with older people. The comfort that a grandparent can provide helps grandchildren feel safe, secure, and loved.
Sometimes I ask students in the lower grades who reminds them the most of Jesus. Often they name their grandmother, grandfather, or both.
In 1991, a newspaper asked for letters of affection from 11 thousand students. Surprisingly often students did not write about boyfriends and girlfriends, or even about mom and dad, but mainly about grandparents.
In my 22 years of teaching, one of my favorite students was raised by his grandmother. He inspired me and many others. My mom and dad loved their grandchildren. And the feeling was mutual.
A man named Bob unexpectedly experienced a grandfather’s sacrificial love. On Bob’s early morning walk, a garbage truck stopped. The driver showed Bob a photo.
He said, “This is my grandson. He is on life support.”
Assuming the driver was begging for money for the hospital bill, Bob reached for his wallet, but the driver told Bob that he wanted something more than money, Instead, he pleaded tearfully, “Could you please pray for my grandson?”Bob did.
Speaking to a Vatican conference on pastoral care for elderly, on January 21, 2020, Pope Francis said that grandparents can play a pivotal role in ensuring that the faith is passed on to their grandchildren in secularized societies.
Pope Francis added, “God has a large population of grandparents throughout the world. They are the indispensable link in educating children and young people in the faith.”
The pope’s remarks remind me of a grandmother who babysat her grandson and tried to influence him by teaching him prayers and Christian values.
Most living grandparents appreciate hearing from their grandchildren. They both need each others’ love! At Sinsinawa, my neighbor’s door was plastered with her grandchildren’s art. To her drawing, each was a masterpiece.
A letter, a telephone call, or a visit can make a grandparent’s day. If needed, younger grandchildren can ask their parents to help them write a letter. If their grandparents are in Heaven, grandchildren can ask for their prayers.
Whether they are living or deceased, let’s give our grandparents a “Happy Grandparents Day” by being the best grandchild we can be!
May the Holy Spirit inspire us to remember and appreciate our grandparents every day.
May we pray to Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents for guidance. May Jesus give grandparents peace and good health.
Fr. Donald Lange is a pastor emeritus in the Diocese of Madison.