“My only surviving grandparent is my grandma who is 93 years old this year,” said Abraham Salami of Appleton, Maine, in a phone interview. “When I think of her, I think of good food, loving, intelligence, hardworking, and a role model. She gives us words of wisdom, nurtures, and teaches us how to live a happy life, setting a very good example.”
Annie Labate of Pembroke Pines, Fla., said she loves being a grandparent. “I have 14 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. They are all very good to me and I am very lucky. They all live within 20 minutes of me, and they all work, but they always dedicate a lot of time to me. One takes me to a doctor and the other takes me to the other doctors. I can’t complain. I am running out of money, as I must give many presents. I will be celebrating National Grandparent Day with my son.”
In 2009 6.7 million grandparents lived with their grandchildren 18 years old and younger, according to the Census Bureau. About 2.7 million grandparents were responsible for their grandchildren’s basic needs, representing about 40 percent of grandparents who live with their grandchildren.
“I am 96 years old and I love all of my eight grandchildren,"Lucy Polito of Pembroke Pines, Fla. “I live in the front house and they live in the back. We are Italians and Italians are very affectionate, I see them very often and they come and talk to me very often. 
In 2010, 7.5 million children lived with a grandparent, 10 percent of all children in the U.S. according to census data.
“My grandfather was a very strict and a stern man and my grandmother wasn’t as strict,” said Shannan Colby of Appleton, Maine, in a phone interview. “We could only speak when spoken to. He was very proud and stubborn, and he didn’t show much emotion, but I knew I meant a lot to him and he loved me very much. My grandma would always sneak things behind my father’s back and give me things.”
One grandfather, Frank Ferreira, author of “Becoming A Man,” patron of SW Focal Point Community Center City of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and a U.S. Navy veteran had this to say: “I have three grandchildren and we are a family consisting of four generations. … My grandchildren all love me, I have medals from serving my time in the Navy for five years and fought with the German submarines, but my grandchildren don’t praise me I give them money all the time. However, I don’t approve of what today’s generations are doing.”
Lisa Whitmore Davis, AARP Michigan associate state director for Multicultural Outreach said in an e-mail: “Grandparents Day is a unique opportunity for grandparents and parents to bring their children to a fulfilling event that allows them to learn and play together in a safe and fun environment.”
President Carter designated the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. It was first observed on Sept. 9, 1979, and has been celebrated every year since.
