Celebrate Grandparents Day at Harper College CE on Sunday, 9/10

National Grandparents Day is Sunday, September 10th. This multi-generational holiday occurs each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day, as proclaimed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. In part, the proclamation reads:

Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us. Whether they are our own or surrogate grandparents who fill some of the gaps in our mobile society, our senior generation also provides our society a link to our national heritage and traditions. We all know grandparents whose values transcend passing fads and pressures, and who possess the wisdom of distilled pain and joy. Because they are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations.

Grandparents Day was initiated by Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, as a day to honor grandparents. Its three main purposes are:

1. To honor grandparents.
2. To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children.
3. To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

Harper CE offers a unique way to celebrate the holiday, with our new one-day course, Deeply Rooted: A Celebration of Grandparents Day. This dynamic workshop will help you achieve these goals (and more), and you’ll have a great time doing it!

DEEPLY ROOTED: A CELEBRATION OF GRANDPARENTS DAY (LKD 0600): Create special memories together as we honor the grandparents in our lives and the special roles they play. Grandparents and grandchildren are invited to this unique opportunity to spend some time learning how their lives are woven together. Each participant is asked to bring in an object that has special meaning and tells a story from their life. The event will begin with the families answering a short, fun questionnaire. A sharing session will follow to allow family members to tell the others the significance that the special object has had in their lives. Participants will then have fun experimenting with communication tools from their respective eras in an effort to recreate each other’s story. This will include cursive writing, typewriters, and modern technology such as iPads and apps. Everyone will leave with the stories they created and a family photo. Sunday, September 10, 1:30-4:00 p.m., TUITION: $35 FEES: $0.

Although September 10th is designated as the official holiday this year, the spirit of Grandparents Day should be celebrated throughout the year. If you haven’t already, why not start writing your life stories and family anecdotes to share with your children, their children, their children’s children, and generations to come? Harper CE has several fall classes to help you craft and share this precious gift, including:

• Publish Your Own Book (LLI 1211-100): Wednesday, 2-4 p.m., 9/13
• Researching Your Family History (LLI 0125): Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., 9/21-10/12
• Publish It Yourself Workshop (LLA 0104): Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 10/5-11/30
• Writing Your Family History or Memoir (LLA 0238): Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., 10/10-11/14
• Legacy: Write Your Memoir (LLI 0126): Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., 10/19-11/9
• Start Blogging! An Introduction to WordPress Blogs (LLA 0106): Saturdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 10/21-11/11
• Legacy: Writing Your Life’s Story (LLA 0239): Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., 10/26-12/7
• My City-My Story (LLI 0127): Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., 11/16-12/14

Register online or call 847.925.6300.