The "Grays" were all excited and bustling around, whispering to each other. They wanted to celebrate it this year and wanted to be prepared. And, they only had 11 more days to get ready.
But, they decided that their had celebration was going to be all inclusive. It was going to include every senior citizen - grandparent or not. After all this was the closest day seniors got to being celebrated and they wanted to honor everyone.
So, what are they celebrating?
Well, Grandparent's Day - of course.
And, they wanted all the "grays" and all the senior citizens included whether they were grandparents or not.
So, they were busy planning their party.
Of course, this got Linda to thinking about Grandparent's Day and the history behind it. And, if you're a follower of
Linda's Blog you all know how much Linda likes history.
So, what is Grandparents Day and when did it get started?
According to
Wikipedia.com here's what it is:
National Grandparents Day is a secular holiday celebrated in the United States on the first Sunday after Labor Day. It is celebrated in the United Kingdom on the first Sunday in October.
Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia, has been recognized nationally by The United States Senate —in particular by Senator Jennings Randolph; Senator Robert Byrd and President Jimmy Carter — as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth in the community about the important contributions seniors have made throughout history. She also urged the youth to "adopt" a grandparent, not only for one day a year, but rather for a lifetime.
In 1973, Senator Jennings Randolph introduced a resolution to the Senate to make Grandparents Day a national holiday. West Virginia's Governor Arch Moore had proclaimed an annual Grandparents Day for the state, at the urging of of Marian McQuade. When Senator Randolph's resolution in the U.S. Senate died in committee, Marian McQuade organized supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in all fifty states. She urged each state to proclaim their own Grandparents Day. Within three years, she had received Grandparents Day proclamations from forty-three states. She sent copies of the proclamations to Senator Randolph. In February, 1977, Senator Randolph, with the concurrence of many other senators, introduced a Joint Resolution to the Senate requesting the President to "issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as 'National Grandparents Day'." Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation. The statute cites the day's purpose as: "... to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer".
Some people claim the origin of the holiday resides with the efforts of Hermine Beckett Hanna of North Syracuse, New York, recognizing seniors and their importance as early as 1961. On February 21, 1990, New York Congressman James T. Walsh recognized the efforts of Hermine Beckett Hanna in front of the U.S. House of Representatives, thanking her "for her important role in the establishment of Grandparents Day."
Well, the "grays" couldn't agree more and feel all "seniors should be cherished." In fact, that was one of the main reasons behind their
"Gray Is Beautiful" product line.
Many of their lines are in tribute to seniors, like:
Don't forget. Grandparents Day is September 12, 2010. A day to celebrate your grandparents and a day to celebrate all seniors.
Let's hear it for the "grays!"
