Happy Grandparents Day: Share Your Favorite Memories on Patch!

Grandparents are the heart of the family.

They are often the keepers of family lore, secrets, recipes and history. And, if you listen carefully, almost every story they tell is packed with life lessons.

With National Grandparents Day on Sunday, Sept. 9, why not celebrate by visiting your grandparents and capturing some life history and wisdom for future generations?  President Jimmy Carter declared Grandparents Day a national holiday in 1978.

Putting it in numbers:

7.0 million - The number of grandparents whose grandchildren younger than 18 were living with them in 2010. 

2.7 million - The number of grandparents responsible for the basic needs of one or more grandchildren under 18 living with them in 2010. Of these caregivers, 1.7 million were grandmothers and 1.0 million were grandfathers. 

$45,000 - Median income for families with grandparent householders responsible for grandchildren under 18. Among these families, where a parent of the grandchildren was not present, the median income was $33,000. 

670,000 - The number of grandparents who had a disability and were responsible for their grandchildren. 

2.1 million - The number of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren, who speak only English. Another 270,000 speak another language, but speak English “very well”; 390,000 speak another language and speak English less than “very well.” 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

What makes the grandparents in your life special? Submit a blog post to share their story. Share your favorite photo here and tell us in the comments what makes your grandparents so special!