As the Caribbean nation of Dominica prepares to observe Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 13, 2026, the top leader of the country’s leading ageing advocacy body is urging families and local communities across the island to turn the annual observance into a meaningful moment that honors the irreplaceable contribution of grandparents to daily life.
Nigel Lawrence, President of the Dominica Council on Ageing, delivered a public address centered on the value of grandparents in modern society, framing these older family members as far more than just senior relatives. In his remarks, Lawrence emphasized that grandparents serve as the unshakable foundational pillar of most families, offering consistent intergenerational gifts of unconditional love, hard-won wisdom accumulated through decades of life experience, and quiet resilience that sustains communities through times of uncertainty and change.
Lawrence pushed back against the idea that Grandparents Day should remain merely a symbolic date marked on annual calendars. Instead, he argued, the occasion should create a dedicated space for people of all ages to pause and reflect on the countless contributions and quiet sacrifices that grandparents have made to lift up their children, grandchildren, and broader community networks.
To turn that reflection into action, the council president issued a clear call to the public: for people who still have living grandparents, take intentional time this Grandparents Day to connect in a meaningful way—whether that means an in-person visit, a warm phone call to check in, or a heartfelt embrace to express gratitude. For those whose grandparents have passed away, Lawrence encouraged honoring their legacy by upholding and living out the core values and lessons that their grandparents passed down to them through generations.
A full audio recording of Lawrence’s full address, ahead of the September 13 observance, has been published online by local Dominican news outlets for the public to listen to in full.