One of my favorite Jimmy Buffett quotes is: “Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been.”
Smiling and creating memories with our loved ones or with someone who has significant influence in our lives is probably one of the most rewarding gifts that we’re given.
When it comes to family, not all of us have the privilege of knowing our grandparents; but at one point, most of us have had a role model who made us laugh, taught us a few things, shared some wisdom, and guided us through life.
At UMRC, we like to think of everyday as Grandparents Day. In case you haven’t heard of Grandparents Day, the “official” day is coming up September 10th, 2017. The purpose of this special day is known as: “A day for young and old to honor each other, and an opportunity for civic engagement for all generations” (Bosak, n.d.).
According to Bosak, its purpose is to:
1. Honor grandparents.
2. Give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children.
3. Help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer (n.d.).
At UMRC, we take pride in engaging our residents, family members, and youth from the communities we serve, by creating opportunities for enrichment activities and events such as the “Adopt a Grandparent” program at Chelsea Retirement Community. This event brings local 5th grade students and our residents together by coordinating activities and projects that provide an opportunity to share their multi-generational talents with one another in a fun environment.
Bringing together multiple generations, whether it’s through an event, a special day of acknowledgement, or simply spending quality time together, can only lead to those deep lines we call wrinkles……where the smiles have been.
To learn more about our Life Enrichment programs, visit us at: www.umrc.com
Source:
Bosak, S.V. (n.d.) The History of Grandparent’s Day [Blog] Retrieved from: https://www.legacyproject.org/guides/gpdhistory.html