To honor the ladies who always have the extra butterscotch candy in their purse, or the men who teach you how to fold a paper airplane, Waltonwood Cary Parkway will celebrate National Grandparents Day on Saturday, September 8, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a 1950’s-themed party. The event is free and open to the public and will feature grandparents’ favorite childhood games, as well as antique cars, a soda shop, hamburgers and shakes, and other meaningful activities. Residents and the public are encouraged to invite their grandchildren to the community (located at 750 SE Cary Parkway) to participate in this fun and free event. Many grandchildren use this day as an opportunity to express appreciation and love toward their grandparents through kind actions.

Shirley Edwards, 82, has lived at Waltonwood Cary Parkway for four years and is excited for her great-grandson Kaiden to participate in the Grandparents Day activities. He doesn’t live far from the senior living community, but Edwards appreciates his visits. For Grandparents Day, Edwards is looking forward to spending time with her only great-grandson while showing Kaiden the games she played in her younger years. She says things are very different today, but she hopes introducing Kaiden to new games and activities will inspire him to try new things.

“Kaiden is the light of my life, and I enjoy every second I spend with him,” said Edwards. “Just having him here on Grandparents Day is meaningful, but showing him the games I played as a kid is an added bonus. We didn’t have the electronics that kids have today. We had vivid imaginations and created entertainment for ourselves. My fondest memories are just being outdoors. We would play house, make mud pies, play hopscotch and lay in the grass looking at the clouds to see if they resembled any animals. Kaiden always tells me he doesn’t know how I grew up like that. I hope this celebration shows him there are other things in life besides electronics. I’m sure it will be quite humorous as well. There are times when we look at pictures and he says, ‘Is that really you?’ Or one time I showed him a fountain pen and he had never seen one before, which made me smile. This is a chance for us to learn from each other, and I can’t wait to celebrate.”  

“We are thrilled to celebrate Grandparents Day with the residents and the public,” said Richard Mabe, executive director. “This is a great opportunity for the seniors and their grandchildren to share experiences and understand how fortunate we are to have what we do today. The 1950’s theme is perfect, and we encourage everyone to dress in their poodle skirts or leather jackets when they attend. Multigenerational activities are important to seniors and offer many benefits, including improved physical and mental health. It will be a fun afternoon for seniors to reminisce and enjoy a nice hamburger and shake with their grandchildren on their special day.”