From my family to yours, we wish you a very a Happy Grandparents Day if celebrating. Today, grandparents come in all shapes, sizes, and generations. Because people are living longer healthier lives, our celebrations have expanded.

We are no longer just honoring grandparents - but today some families are fortunate enough to celebrate great-grandparents as well. These elders act as our living archives, filling in the missing puzzle pieces of our past and showing us exactly how our families traveled the road to where they are today.

There is also a profound, quiet weight to the timing of this holiday. Falling every year on or just after September 11, Grandparents Day serves as a poignant reminder of a turning point in our history. When the world changed forever on 9/11, countless grandparents stepped into the role of primary caretakers, shielding and raising a new generation. Today, U.S. Census Bureau data shows that roughly 30% of the American population was born after 9/11. For this entire generation, our grandparents and great-grandparents aren't just the keepers of family traditions - they are the steady, resilient anchors who guided us through a changing world ... for as long as we have them.

For those of the Jewish faith, Grandparents Day frequently falls on or around the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is a sacred season that elevates and honors the ancestors who paved our way, celebrating the enduring legacy of those who came before us as family, as well as the others who share our bloodline from the beginning of the journey till the end.

As the last living grandparent for my six grandchildren, I stay in touch with them by text - their generation's choice of communication - and always at family gatherings creating memories that merge past, present, with predictions of their futures. I rarely, if ever discuss end time philosophies but clearly they speak for themselves as reality unfolds.

Some of my grandchildren have asked why other family members have aged and passed on, and yet I always seem to stay the same. And so I add another dimension to our family's history by telling them my story allowing them to incorporate those DNA markers into their emerging destinies. As adults my five grandsons and one granddaughter are familiar with my past and ongoing adventures.

Whether you are a grandparent or a grandchild, enjoy this day. I'm sure you have lots of stories to share hopefully filled with love.