Today is “KEIRO NO HI” in Japan. It is the Day of the Aged and at our school, one of our classes, usually the older children, always invite grandparents to join us to honour them and celebrate the event with their grandchildren and sometimes great grandchildren.
Grandparents have a special place in all of our lives. Whether we are young or old, we recall those precious moments with our grandparents and the love that they showered upon us.
“Grandparents are experts at love. Their job is to give extra-big hugs, tell wonderful stories, and make you feel special. They have a whole lifetime of love saved up just for you.”
“They love you in a different, extra-special way.”
“They have more time to play and have fun.”
“They are keepers of family history and stories.”
“Their house is often a cozy, special place to visit.”
While many grandparents are not in Tokyo, they too have the opportunity to be a part of this event. They are invited to make a video message and send it to us. During the event, we project their images onto the wall and listen to what they are saying.
We received messages in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and more.
This morning the children did the “Chicken Dance” which they learned in their “Spin and Shine” class. At the end of the dance, they invited their grandparents to join in a try to do the dance with them. We had some pretty good dancers this morning. Then they did an activity; played a game with a balloon to make sure that that the balloon never touched the floor and last but not least, the children presented their grandparents with a home made medallion.
We were grateful that many grandparents visited us this morning to be a part of our special celebration.
THANK YOU.
