Did You Celebrate ‘National Grandparents Day’?

My wife, Lisa, remembers everything. Birthdays... anniversaries... even National Grandparents Day.

We went to Timmerman's Supper Club for a family breakfast to celebrate my in-laws, Cindy and Wayne, who just reached their 51st wedding anniversary. Since the pandemic put the kibosh on a celebration last year, they figured we were going to commemorate the occasion this year come hell or high water.

After the meals, cards were being passed around. They opened all their anniversary cards and then Lisa whispered in our son's ear. Jacob then sheepishly smiled at Grandma and Grandpa to say "Happy Grandparents Day."

How did I miss this one? I know there are a million things on the calendar but I didn't mean to not acknowledge some of the most important people in our lives.

Me and Lisa are very fortunate to have such a great support system in our lives. Here mom and dad are always around to help, whether it be running Jake to school or letting him hang at their house while we work or run other crazy errands.

My dad, Barry, who loves to tell jokes and pal around with his grandkids. He likes to buy them ice cream and other treats and shower them with love.

And my mom, Janet, who always has an open door policy with her kids and now with her grandkids. She's a lot of fun and doesn't hesitate to get down alongside the kids to draw with chalk or get wet in that water gun fight. (She remarried but lost her husband, Dewey, a few years back. He was so much fun, too. I'm sad the kids won't know his energy and "I'll figure it out myself" attitude.)

Yesterday I started thinking about my own grandparents. My grandma, Rochelle, who was the warmest person. I remember riding my bike to her house as a kid and watching old westerns with her while she dozed off on her couch. (I never met her husband, Harry, who died a few years before I was born.)

On my mom's side we had Grandma Helen, who smoked like a chimney but always had a great sense of humor and loved a great game of Bunko or Euchre.

My Grandpa Norbert was a hard worker his whole life. Everyday he'd have a nice sandwich and a bowl of soup for lunch... like... everyday. My grandma said they should have bought stock in "Campbells," because he ate that much soup.

I went through my phone looking for pictures to share, but then I realized that they've all been gone far too long to have had a cherished photo saved to my smartphone.

What I wouldn't give for a warm hug from a grandma, a pat on the back from a grandpa, and those kind words that always made me feel good as a kid.

Happy (belated) National Grandparents day!

~Chris Farber