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Have you ever stopped to ponder the word “grandparents”? The Webster dictionary defines grand as “having higher rank than others of the same group or class.” Even better, the well-known character created by Bill Cosby, Little Bill, has a grandmother with the title, Alice the Great! I might borrow that one some day—Katherine the Great does have a ring to it. Regardless of what we call them, I think we all agree that grandparents have a unique quality that we too often do not take the time to appreciate. One of those circle of life things. We go our own busy way making some of the same mistakes they made. But thanks to Hallmark, or whoever decides what we will celebrate each year, Sept. 7 has been set aside as a special day this year just for GRANDparents!

I have to admit that some years this day has gone by and we have done little more than send a card that says “Happy Grandparents Day!” However, this year I am hoping our family can put a little more time and effort into focusing on some of the most important people in our family. We are fortunate in that our children’s grandparents live relatively close by and that they have a close and very strong bond. I know they will always treasure the special times they share with our parents.

We also feel very lucky to have my husband’s grandmother in the same town. She is truly an inspiring lady who bowls every week, has been on the senior Olympics team, and loves being with people and learning new things. Our children have recently been exposed to various historical time periods by reading and watching movies about the lives of their American Girl Dolls. It just amazed them to learn that MawMaw lived during such hard times, and they were hanging onto our every word as we explained life 80 years ago.

So what to do for the most important people in your life? My observation is that keeping it simple is best. A handmade gift or drawing from the child is always a hit. My daughter made her grandfather a book all about PawPaw last year for Christmas and it was amazing. If you are like me and your grandparents are deceased, we can still honor them with a visit to the burial site or just by sharing our special grand stories with the next generation. Here’s to the highest ranking members of our group!