Grand Memories: Concordia Residents Share Their Favorite Moments as Grandparents

Grandparents Day 2016 image

Grand [grand] – adjective. Impressive in size, appearance, or general effect; stately, majestic, or dignified; noble or revered; of great importance, distinction, or pretension…

Parent [pair-uh nt] – noun. A father or a mother; an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor; a source, origin, or cause; a protector or guardian; any organism that produces or generates another…

When you look at the definitions of the two words that combine to make “Grandparent,” it’s pretty easy to see why they are such important people in our lives. And not just our ACTUAL grandparents, but any of the seniors in our lives who we respect, admire, cherish and love.

At Concordia, despite the fact that we serve every age group, it’s pretty safe to say that grandparents make up the bulk of our resident/patient population. So in honor of National Grandparents Day on September 11, we asked a few of them either what the best part of being a grandparent is to them or for their favorite memory as a grandparent. Their responses will leave you with a smile! Enjoy…

Sally T., Concordia of Cranberry: “No matter how long it had been since my grandchildren had visited me, they would always come in the door and make a beeline straight for the cupboard that held the cookie jar, because they knew it would always be full of grandma’s homemade cookies!”

Mary R., Concordia at Cabot: “In our family, you were called a babchi – Polish for grandma. One of my favorite memories was giving each of the grandkids a $2 bill to take to show ‘n tell at school. They always thought that was so neat.”

Harriet J., Concordia of the South Hills:  “I was so busy raising my children that there seemed to be no time to just sit and enjoy. So for me, the greatest thing about being a grandmother and great grandmother is being able to just ENJOY them!”

Dorothy M., Concordia at Sumner: “I enjoy seeing my granddaughter as often as I can. My favorite memory with her is when she won the beauty pageant in Franken Booth in her teens.”

Dora S., Concordia at Ridgewood Place: “I love all my little ones and the big ones too… I especially enjoy Halloween with them.”

Florence Y., Concordia at Cabot: “The best part of being a grandma is hearing the kids laugh. When they giggle, I can’t help but giggle!”

Betty F., Concordia of Fox Chapel: “Having little kids around makes me very happy. My favorite memories are of our vacations. We went to Florida every year with the children and grandchildren.”

Maxine  H., Concordia at Sumner: “My oldest grandson is a pilot, and one of my proudest moments was seeing him fly for the first time.”

Bernadette M., Concordia at the Orchard: “What I like most about being a grandparent is they treat me with respect and show their love in numerous ways. I have so many great memories, but one of them is with my oldest granddaughter. My husband passed away 14 years ago and she changes the flowers on his grave every season. She told me not to worry about it, because she would never forget to change them.”

Cecelia P., Concordia of Monroeville: “What’s the best part of being a grandparent? You can enjoy them and give them back!”

Betty F., Concordia of Wexford: “I enjoy being a grandparent because I can play with them and spoil them with gifts – ‘just cause.’”

Mary M., Concordia at Cabot: “I love everything about being a grandmother. I used to watch them when they were young, and now I go to their weddings.”

Marie K., Concordia at Sumner: “Being a grandparent is a lot more fun with a lot less work.”

If you or a loved one is considering a move to a retirement community or personal care community, or you are in need of outpatient therapy or short-term inpatient rehabilitation, we hope you will consider Concordia. Message us through our Contact page or call 724-352-1571 to see what might be the best fit for your situation.

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