For most of us, National Grandparents Day on Sunday came and went with little fanfare. After all, It has been less than 40 years since the first Sunday after Labor Day was set aside for this special observance. Most grandparents don’t need or want recognition; they’re simply happy being able to brag that they’re grandparents. Of course, it implies you’re probably not really young anymore, but it doesn’t seem to bother most of us, although some grandparents could easily pass for parents.

Once you’ve raised your children and they reach adulthood, your thoughts turn toward that happy day when you become a grandparent. You don’t want to rush your children into parenthood too early, so you wait patiently until the time is right.

For reasons most of us can’t explain, becoming a grandparent ranks right up there with becoming a parent for the first time, except that you escape much of the stress. Generally, you don’t have to foot the bills, either!

If you’re lucky, your grandchildren live close by where you can see them often, enjoy their company, and watch them grow up. We’ve always felt very sorry for grandparents whose grandchildren live hundreds of miles away, and visits are few and far between. When they do get together, it’s sometimes like getting reacquainted all over again.

Most grandparents cherish the time they get to spend with the grandchildren and dote on them. Some grandparents have told us they sometimes feel a bit guilty because of all the attention they give the grandkids, and wonder if maybe they cheated their own children just a bit. We doubt that it’s true, but we all agree that we tend to overdo it a bit, but we don’t really care, nor are any of us apt to change how we feel about these very special young people.

Some grandparents have stepped in when necessary to assume the responsibility of raising a grandchild. It would be interesting to know how many are filling this role nationally. We think it’s probably a surprisingly high figure. It’s not easy to do, as any grandparent will tell you. Keeping up with the fast pace of young folks today is a challenge. Ask any grandparent after he or she has spent even a few hours with a youngster. The easy chair looks very inviting, and you reluctantly acknowledge you’re definitely not as young as you used to be.

There’s no doubt about it, most grandparents would sum up in one word what it’s like to have that designation: Wonderful.