The 2017 Dr. Arthur Kornhaber GRAND ADVOCACY Award
Nature has made it so that every time a child is born, a grandparent is born too. The new grandparent inherits the privilege of loving, nurturing, teaching and protecting all in the family who came before.
Society needs to honor this truth, and to create a culture that facilitates the application of such “Grandparent Power”–love, wisdom, perspective and selflessness—to the benefit of family and society.
Grandparenting is an ageless function and not a static role. For example, consider the radical social and biological changes of the past decades.
Longevity has given us a new, longer-lived generation of great-grandparents, afforded first-time grandparents an expanded period of health and vitality, and, in blended families, expanded the roles of step-grandparents.
Social gains in understanding, support and compassion for the LGBT families have created the first generation of grateful grandparents, parents of LGBT children who had previously surrendered the thoughts of ever becoming a grandparent.
Grandparent Laws, establishing the importance of this role in society, are constantly being re-examined and adapted to changing circumstances.
Technology has helped long-distance “Cybergrandparents,” maintain “vital connections” with their grandchildren over distance via telecommunications etc.
Grandparent Media organizations, (such as GRAND magazine) raise consciousness about the importance of grandparenting and teach about the complexities of the role in today’s times.
Although a lot has been done, there is a lot to do to see that every child has a loving and dedicated grandparent, and every parent has a dedicated grandparent in their corner as well
As little Billy, 8, said when he drew a picture of his family. “My family, well, I’m at the top, and my parents are under me, and my grandparents are under me and my parents…they are there to catch us if we fall…”
It is up to us, to make sure that society fits Billy’s picture.
That’s the work of Generations United. And because Generations United has been fulfilling Billy’s wish so well over the years, it has well earned this award.
My congratulations and deep thanks.
Arthur Kornhaber MD
