Happy Grandparents Day!

In light of the 10th Anniversary of 9-11, I decided to hold off on posting this message until a little later in the day. While not an official Penn State holiday for Mom, today is Grandparents Day! I just thought that I should alert my followers who may not have known about this ever-so-important holiday.

And here's a little bit of history for you. The impetus for National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes, something that The Triple Threat does with great pleasure on a regular basis. Ms. McQuade also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap into the wisdom and heritage that their grandparents could provide. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.

Love your neighbor as yourself 

The Triple Threat really does not have a particular photo that portrays how much we love our grandparents. However, having just received an e-mail message from a friend quoting Perry Smith's poem "To a Keeper" we thought that a modified version was particularly appropriate to post considering that the 10th Anniversary of 9-11 and Grandparents Day fell on the same day.

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't anymore.

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more just one minute.

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say "good-bye" or "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage, problematic children, dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it!

Life is important. People who are special to us, we keep close!

Suppose one morning you never wake up. Do all your friends know you
love them?

Many people get caught up in the trivial aspects of who is right or wrong. Dogs don't. We love our parents, grandparents, and friends unconditionally and let them know every day how much we love them with butt wags and slobbery kisses,

Carpe Diem --  Seize the day because tomorrow is not promised.