From TCNEWS
As some countries across the globe celebrates the year 2024 Grandparents day, the President General of Ahuwa-Oboro autonomous community, Oboro clan in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Engr. Dr. James Nnadozie Uchegbuo, has harped on the need to value and place topmost priority on grandparents as they serve an indispensable role in the lives of children.
Celebrated in the United States since 1978, the United States Senate and President Jimmy Carter nationally recognized Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia as the founder of National Grandparents Day.
Interacting with our correspondent in Umuahia, Uchegbuo, who is also the President General of Igbo Vanguard Group, IVG a sociocultural organization, pointed out that grandparents helps the upbringing of children as their training is not merely confined to the limits of the knowledge and experiences of their biological parents.
According to him, not only do many grandparents serve as their grandchildren’s guardians, they also serve as partial or full caregivers.
Uchegbuo who explored grandparenting roles in cultural traditions that accentuate family harmony and collective well-being, said, “Grandparents play various roles in the lives of children, from playmates to caregivers while their parents are in their various work place, The relationship they have with children has helped to create a support system that nurtures them physically, mentally, and Spiritually”
As the custodians of family traditions and cultural heritage, grandparents, according to Uchegbuo play a pivotal role in passing down cultural values, rituals, and customs, enriching their grandchildren’s sense of identity and belonging.
“Grandparents contribute to their character development, offer support to parents, and provide a link to family history and traditions. They serve as sources of unconditional love, positive influence, and emotional support for their grandchildren. Grandparenting can relieve stress, improve socialization, bolster the immune system, help relieve depression, encourage physical activity and even boost longevity”, Uchegbuo also observed.
According to records available, National Grandparents Day has more than one origin. Some people consider it to have been first proposed by Michael Goldgar in the 1970s after he visited his aunt in an Atlanta nursing home, Spending $11,000 of his own money in lobbying efforts to have the day officially recognized, he made 17 trips to Washington DC over a seven-year span to meet with legislators.
Others consider Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, a housewife in West Virginia, to have been the main driver for the day of observance. Throughout the 1970s McQuade worked hard to educate the people about the important contributions senior citizens made and the contributions that they would be willing to make if asked. She also urged people to adopt a grandparent, not for one day a year and not for material giving, but for a lifetime of experience.
In any event National Grandparents Day was finally signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Marian McQuade received a phone call from the White House to advise her of this event. Many people believe that National Grandparents Day was inspired by her efforts. A presidential proclamation on September 6, 1979, made this day official – it designated Sunday, September 9, 1979, (being the “first Sunday of September following Labor Day”) as National Grandparents Day.
