Overview:
With National Grandparents Day this Sunday, September 13, Bucket List on the Street headed to Pearl Street in Downtown Boulder to ask people about the most important lesson they learned from their grandparents.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. The day serves as a time to honor the wisdom, guidance and love that grandparents provide to families.
For some Coloradans, grandparents dictated what sports teams to root for, while for others, they formed the foundational ethics to live by.
In this week’s edition of Bucket List on the Street, we asked people to share the most important lessons they learned from their grandparents.
Tenacity
36-year-old Erin grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, where her grandparents showed her the importance of refusing to give up and finishing what you start
“[The most important thing I learned] I think is tenacity,” said Erin. “My grandparents, and especially my grandmothers, were fierce; they were exciting, and they always did everything to the end.”
Kindness
Linda, 66 and originally from New Jersey, says her grandparents taught her to lead with kindness. They instilled in her the significance of recognizing others and contributing positively to others’ lives.
“Kindness, and to be aware of other people and what they need,” she said.
Care goes both ways
Alex, a 21-year-old from Centennial, Colorado, learned at a young age from his grandparents that it’s important to take care of others.
“One of the biggest things my grandparents taught me is just take care of other people, and they’ll take care of you,” he said.
He adds that witnessing his grandparents’ long and fruitful marriage has especially helped him in his own relationships.
“They’ve been married for a very long time,” said Alex. “So, I think that just seeing that and the way they interact with each other has helped me out a lot in my own relationships.”
Perseverance
Like Erin, Marleina’s biggest lesson from her grandparents is to persevere. Marleina, a 51-year-old who splits time between Boulder, Colorado and Cleveland, Ohio, believes that the way her Syrian immigrant grandparents overcame struggles throughout their immigration to the United States ingrained in her the importance of perseverance.
“They immigrated here, so I guess I would say perseverance because they worked really hard,” Marleina said. “They didn’t speak any English, they didn’t know anybody, and they built a wonderful life for my father and his siblings.”
Different types of lessons from Grandmothers and Grandfathers
Rose, a 34-year-old from Seattle, Washington, was raised by his grandmother and grandfather. Both grandparents played a huge part in shaping his identity, albeit in different ways.
His grandfather, for one, passed down a lesson that may not apply to everyone.
“He taught me how to always root for the Dallas Cowboys,” Rose said. “I miss you, Grandpa.”
Even after growing up and moving to Colorado, Rose’s Cowboys fandom has remained strong – a lasting reminder of the bond he shared with his grandfather.
As for Rose’s grandmother, she taught him a lesson that is a little more universal.
“She was very emotional. She taught me how to be patient and how to control my emotions.”
Although I don’t have a dog and I’m honestly more of a cat person (gasp!), I’m confident that you and your partner in crime will have a blast enjoying these places in the Denver metro area.
Enjoy the nice weather and long summer days while we still have them. Just be sure to have lots of water on hand, clean up after your pup and always pack a camera because you’ll definitely want to capture these adventures together.
Happy exploring, Bucket Listers!
If you’re able, let your grandparents know you’re thinking about them, or even spend the day with them. If you’re not able to be with them, hopefully you can reflect on what they mean to you and how they had an impact on your life. And to any grandparents out there, happy National Grandparents Day!
Thank you for reading! Bucket List on the Street will be back next Sunday with a new edition, so make sure to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
