There is a lot more to being a grandparent than having your children have children, especially nowadays.

While the extended family of yesteryear is all but extinct, grandparents play important roles in families, perhaps more so than, say, 30 years ago.

Today, very often, grandparents work and help their children’s families in several different ways. In rural areas like ours, it is not uncommon for grandparents to raise their children’s children.

Of course, the traditional role of spoiling grandchildren is not lost on the modern grandparent. The old joke about why grandparents and grandchildren get along so well — because they have a common enemy — still has a bit of humorous truth to it.

This week is Grandparents Week, but we should always keep our grandparents in the forefront of our thoughts.

Many of them lived through tough times. Many of them carry not just the wosdom but the understanding of two generations.

One of the Ten Commandments tells us to honor our father and mother. That does not simply mean to say, “Yes, sir,” “Yes, ma’am,” “No, sir” or “No, ma’am.” It means to life your life and do things that would make them proud, to honor them and your family.

Grandparents have lived through everything that you and your parents have lived through, are going through and will go through. There is much to be said for life experiences, yet those seem to be the people we least respect.

If your grandparents are still living, at some point during this week, give them a call or visit them and cherish them.

If they are no longer living, give them a thought and remember the things that they did to make you feel better and maybe teach you something in the process.

This week, the Demopolis elementary schools are providing a way for grandchildren to enjoy spending time with their grandparents for breakfast. Maybe that’s something we could all do once a week all year long.