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"By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer." A late summer garden has a tranquility found no other time of the year. There ought to be gardens for all months in the year in which things of beauty may be then in season. Welcome to the September newsletter. Tell ye your children of it, and [let] your children [tell] their children, and their children another generation. GRANDPARENTS DAYI'm sorry if I used the words of Joel out of context but you'll see why I did shortly. It added some humor to a story that was emailed to me. The Farmer's almanac has a wonderful website and I've signed up to receive their emails. They always include a calendar of events for each month. Well, it turns out that September 7 is Grandparents Day. In 1970, a West Virginia housewife, Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, initiated a campaign to set aside a special day just for grandparents. In 1978, the United States Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. The proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter. September was chosen to signify the "autumn years" of life. It never took off like Mother's or Father's Day but that's okay because Hallmark makes enough money as it is. Still, it's nice to know that such a day exists and that the sentiment is still there. I came along late in my parent's lives and the problem for me was that I didn't get to spend much of my life knowing my grandparents. Kids have kids earlier now and grandparents are younger now than before; as young as their 30's. Now, grandparents are often more active and have more resources than before. |
That's good because grandparents make better baby sitters than they once did. For instance, my Grandma McKee thought I was a horrible child to sit for. She was, after all, in her 70's when I came along and she was right; I was a handful. However, I would give anything to spend one more day with her because with her age came wisdom. It will be a while before I have as much civility and social grace to pass along to grandchildren. I've said it before and freely admit that I wouldn't be a Christian today if it wasn't for that little old lady in the rocking chair, with a bun in her hair, reading Bible stories to me. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Times were simpler in the 50's and just as each generation says, "Kids today have so much they take for granted" I can pass that saying on to my grandkids. Materialistically, they do have way too much "stuff" and they do take things for granted. However, grandparents lives are so cluttered with "stuff" and they have such busy schedules that when it comes time to baby sit with grandkids, everyone in the whole chain of command has to check their calendars. Kids come to grandma's house with ipods and cell phones because they can't give up a few hours away from their friends. Grandparents love the kids unconditionally but at end of the day they love it more to see the parents arrive to pick up the kids, who have done their best to wear grandma down. Joel 1:3 won't mean as much in future generations if each side doesn't let go of their phones and other toys long enough to care what is being said. I knew enough to listen when my grandma talked and that's why Proverbs 22:6 worked. My time with her was way too short as it was with all of my grandparents. They have much more to offer than just being a convenient baby sitter if we take the time to listen. Take time for them while there is still quality time available. It is, after all, the "September" of their lives. And, grandparents, pass along your knowledge and your faith before it's lost. |