The first Sunday after Labor Day was proclaimed by Pres. Jimmy Carter as National Grandparents Day in 1978 although the first Grandparents Day was celebrated in Virginia in 1973. A part of his proclamation is quoted hereunder:

“Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us. Whether they are our own or surrogate grandparents who fill the gaps in our mobile society, our senior generation also provides our society a link to our national heritage and traditions.

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.”

Grandparents do play a vital role in the make up of families. They always find ways to stay connected and strengthen family ties, two important necessary assets nowadays when close knit families are becoming a thing of the past. 

Grandparents are not babysitters. More truly, they are surrogates who convey love, inculcate in the minds of their grandchildren a sequel of values and intensify the children’s worth to the integrity of the family. They nurture them, mentor them and in many ways model the course of life they had to take.

Hence, it is just right and proper that we dedicate this day to our grandparents to show our respect and love for them. And most important is for us to make every day a grandparents day.