What Does Grandparents Day Mean to Me?

National Grandparents Day has been around since 1978. I had no idea such an official day existed until my adult years. Or maybe I did and it just didn’t register because I didn’t need a special day to remind me that my grandmother was special. I saw and celebrated my grandmother everyday.

My mom was a single parent and my grandmother would babysit me while my mom was at work. When I was in grade school in my grandmother’s neighborhood, I would walk to her house everyday after school. Once at her house, I would eat, change into my play-clothes, grab some change from the money jar she had for me and head to the grocery store for a treat. Later, when I went to school in my own neighborhood, my grandmother would drive over to our house everyday after school to bring my brother and I a snack.

Now, that my wife and I grandparents, Grandparents Day is reminder of how far we have come, how our lives have change, how our lives evolve around our grandson, how blessed we are to have a grandson and that we are able to provide for him.
Now I know why my was grandmother there for us everyday. Spending time with the grandkids is the joy grandparents live for.

Derrick D. Richardson

Alton

Firefighter, Author, Volunteer

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