“September Is A Month For Remembering”
By Elaine Voci, Life
Cycle Celebrant
September is a wonderful month with cooler temperatures that
are pleasing, and, for many of us, with fond memories of going back to school
with a new lunchbox, a new back pack, and a fresh chance to learn new
things.
It is also a month with two
special holidays that involve remembering: Native American Day, and
Grandparents Day.
Since 1968,
when Governor Ronald Reagan signed a resolution, the fourth Friday in September
has been a holiday dedicated to honoring and celebrating Native Americans, the
Native American culture and the contributions that Native Americans have made to
the United States.
On this special day cultural
events are held, such as pow wows, to celebrate our indigenous Americans with
dancing, music, singing, and socializing at markets that feature special foods
and conversations that help us all remember the contributions of our earliest
settlers. Where I live, our native arts
museum hosts a special day with food, music, tribal dancing and ceremonial garb
worn by native Americans who live in this area to mark Native American
Day. There’s always a good turnout and many
people tour the museum as part of the day’s festivities, some for the first
time. It seems there is always something
new to be experienced and to learn about the people who lived in this area
before it was settled during the migrations of citizens from the East Coast.
Do Something Grand It was President Jimmy
Carter who began National Grandparents Day by presidential proclamation in
1978; Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day
as the day for annually remembering and acknowledging their many contributions
to American culture.
In his presidential
proclamations, President Obama called on Americans to “honor those who have
helped shape the character of our Nation, and thank these role models for their
immeasurable acts of love, care and understanding.” An organization called Generations United
urges grandparents and older adults to share their wisdom, perspectives and key
civic values with young people on this annual day of remembering
grandparents. Their slogan is “Celebrate
Grandparents Day by committing to do Something Grand!”
Although my own
grandparents are deceased, I enjoy some of the activities in our community that
mark this Sunday such as a fitness run for seniors, various parties and
celebrations in local assisted living centers that are open to the public, and
the public library events during the month of September that focus on
story-telling, and reading books about some famous grandparents and some that
well known only among their families.
When my grandkids were young and in pre-school, they often drew pictures
and created art that featured me as the centerpiece of their efforts as a
grandparent they knew and loved. I saved
this precious art to return to them one day when they are grown.
This year, I have chosen
to participate in National Grandparents Day by donating time as a volunteer at the
local library reading to pre-schoolers.
Not all the children have grandparents nearby, and some may have
grandparents who are deceased, so for a few hours I will be with them as a
representative grandparent. I will do my best to make it fun, and I am certain
I will enjoy sharing stories with them that help bridge our generations. It will make me feel grand inside and I hope
it will help them remember their elders fondly.
Elaine Voci is a life coach in private practice in Carmel, IN and a graduate of the Celebrant Foundation & Institute . Elaine is the Editor of the Celebrant Blog for the Celebrant Foundation & Institute.
https://www.ebookit.com/tools/pd/Bo/eBookIt/booktitle-Soul-Sketches--How-to-Craft-Meaningful-and-Authentic-Eulogies.
Life-Cycle Ceremonies: A Handbook for Your Whole Life
How do you commemorate momentous events? Memorialize people who have shaped you? Draw support from those you hold dear? This primer offers methods for honoring the special occasions in your life with humor and grace. Its ceremonies help ground each day in the wholeness that supports our entire lives. Each ceremony has been vetted by a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® affiliated with the Celebrant Foundation and Institute, which offers training and support for celebrants worldwide. Visit us at www.celebrantInstitute.org.
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