Grandparents Day Reflections--- Building Memories While it's Possible

National Grandparents Day is September 12. It always falls on the first Sunday following Labor Day. I had planned to write an article about multi-generational cruise vacations which have become so popular. I even have permission from a client to use their three generation family cruise photo for the blog.


But when I sat down to write this evening, I had a change of mind. (female prerogative! )  I promise to later write the previously planned blog. But today I’m going to instead tell you about my grandparents, “Nanny and Pop Pop Parkin” who passed away years ago. The sun pretty much rose and set on my grandparents as far as my brother, cousins and I were concerned.


Early in their marriage, my grandparents went to London and, when I was very young, they went to Mexico. I remember because they brought back a silver charm bracelet and a pair of maracas for me, all of which I still have. I was fascinated by these exotic gifts from a foreign country! A few years ago, I was amazed to find Nanny and Pop Pop’s on a 1938 ship’s passenger manifest from the s.s. Monarch of Bermuda on Ancestors.com. What a neat find that was among the many incredible family facts I found there!

Mexico was their last overseas trip. I never got the impression that Pop Pop was all that interested in travel. He was happy in his home, work, church and especially when his daughters and their families visited. Frankly, I think being in the Army stationed in Pearl Harbor in 1941 gave him his fill of foreign travel and I believe the international vacations after that were done out of love for my grandmother. But Nanny, well, I think she was a traveler at heart. She loved her home and family, but I can also picture her being in awe of the sites, sounds, smells and tastes of the world.

Pop Pop died in 1982. Nanny and I started talking about us traveling in the future. The look in her eyes would change for a few moments and I knew it was a few minutes’ reprieve from the sadness of her loss. Unfortunately we never got to fulfill those last travel dreams together because Nanny died from a broken heart only a few months after Pop Pop. I’m happy she had those travel dream diversions and know that I would have loved traveling with her. It’s my loss that I never got to have those adventures with her.

Traveling can be an amazing experience. Grab any opportunity you may have to do it with your grandparents or grandchildren. There may be lessons gained.  And memories that will last through generations.

Nanny and Pop Pop…. Thinking of you and loving you as much as ever.