Grandparent’s Day “means a lot to me because it’s really cool that I have the opportunity to have my grandparents here… It’s [also] really cool that I get to have them on my campus and show them around,” said Ethan Tanner (‘30) while sitting next to his grandparents on the quad at Bishop’s on November 17th, 2023.

The annual Grandparent’s Day Bishop’s hosts consist of students eating Thanksgiving-themed lunch with their respective grandparents and families and later attending an all-school Thanksgiving chapel in the Eva May Fleet Athletic Center. It is a day for students to spend time with their grandparents and be able to talk, play, and eat with them. 

While eating and talking with one another, Mr. Steve Kandel, Mrs. Karen Brandt, and Mr. Barry Brandt — Ethan’s grandparents — all mentioned that Grandparent’s Day is a good chance to see Ethan growing up and maturing while experiencing the school’s environment. Having his grandparents here, Ethan said, “It’s amazing to see all of them here because it’s really fun to see the generation before your parents.”

Additionally, Mr. Kandel said that being able to spend time with his grandchildren is the best. He elaborated, “I think you’re a little bit more relaxed [with your grandkids] than with your own kids. Having [the] chance to watch them develop into wonderful young people is just marvelous: I love being a grandparent.” 

Reflecting on his time spent with Ethan, Mr. Brandt said, “I love watching him play water polo.” Ethan further mentioned, “I like to watch them come to my football games or my basketball games. It’s cool having them watch me do what their children used to do. ” 

Every summer since he was born, Ethan travels to see his grandparents, Ms. and Mr. Brandt, in Pennsylvania. In contrast, since his other grandparents, Mr. Kandel, and his wife live in San Diego, Ethan loves to go to their house and sleep over some nights. 

Mrs. Brandt reflected on the times she has spent time with Ethan. She remembered, “Any opportunity [to get to be with him] whether it’s at the beach, or at his house, or at our house, or if it’s him playing sports, it doesn’t matter — it’s all about the time shared.”

Being in the presence of one another, memories from the past when Mrs. Judy Bottini, the grandmother of Shane Beste (‘24), and Shane spent time together resurfaced. Mrs. Bottini recalled memories from the times she and Shane spent talking. She said, “When I picked up Shane from school when he was a freshman or sophomore… the two of us in the car had so much fun talking about whatever we felt like… We would just laugh and enjoy that time from school to his house.”

Shane seconded what his grandmother said, adding: “I feel like I was always smiling whenever I got home because there was something fun we were talking about. We just have a special bond.”

Reflecting on what Grandparent’s Day meant to her, Mrs. Bottini said, “[It] is a special time in our lives [for] just the two of us [to] celebrate each other.” 

Both Shane and Ms. Bottini mentioned it as a blessing to be able to spend time with one another. Shane said, “We have a lot of fun talking, and we just understand each other very well, and we can make jokes and talk to each other about serious things.” Ms. Bottini added, “It is a blessing from God to spend time with Shane whom I love so much. [It’s] a feeling of a special love that we have between the two of us to just be with each other and celebrate each other at a special setting.”

Besides gratitude for the time spent with one another, Mrs. Ruby Elam, the grandmother of Amaree Maye (‘29), mentioned that Grandparent’s Day is a chance to see what classes he is taking. For Amaree, Grandparent’s Day “means having a special time [with them]. It feels really nice to be with them.”

Mr. George Elam, Amaree’s grandfather, cherishes moments like  when he and Amaree played video games like Madden and other sports games together and “watching him grow up to be a little man.” 

Mrs. Elam said she especially enjoys watching sports with Amaree, “since he is very intelligent he teaches me a lot about football, baseball, and basketball.” Alongside watching sports, she loves watching Amaree grow. “Watching how tiny he was, and now he’s taller than I am! So every time we see each other, he wants to tell me how much taller he is than me.” 

Kathleen Owens (‘29), whose favorite sport is surfing, got to surf in Hawaii when her family went there this fall. Kathleen remembered her time in Hawaii as an amazing time and a memory she made with her grandparents, since they snorkeled, tubing, visited beaches, and ziplined. Mrs. Owens, Kathleen’s grandmother also mentioned that they played a lot of tennis together.

Mr. Owens said that he loves “playing board games [and] card games, since Kathleen’s one of my two grandchildren that doesn’t cheat when she plays cards. She follows the rules.” They are things they love to do together during their rare meeting chances. Kathleen and Mr. Owens have also played pickleball, been to the movies, and eaten a lot of food together. 

Kathleen and her grandfather, Mr. Tom Owens, shared that since his wife, Mrs. Patty Owens (Kathleen’s grandmother), and he live in Dallas, Texas, it is a rare yet precious opportunity to see each other and celebrate together. Mr. Owens said that Grandparent’s Day “gives us an excuse to come to La Jolla, spend time, and extend [the visit] out through Thanksgiving.”

While the students and their grandparents and families were talking and laughing, they were also digging into the wonderful Thanksgiving-themed food Bishop’s kitchen prepared for them. Amaree, Ethan, Kathleen, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, Mr. and Mrs. Elam, Mr. and Mrs. Brandt, and Mr. Kandel all said that the food was delicious. Kathleen said, “I like all of it — the cookies are really good, I think they are baked really well.” 

Not only did the food exceed expectations for Mrs. Owens, but she also ate every bite. She noted: “My favorite part has been the cauliflower because it’s cooked perfectly and has a nice flavor.” 

Mrs. Brandt commented, “We have a lot to be thankful for as we sit here. It is the perfect food for the occasion.”

Grandparent’s Day reminds us to spend every chance we have with our loved ones because every moment together is precious and every moment develops into a special memory. In a closing thought, Kathleen said, “We do all kinds of things: we go to the beach, we hang out, we go shopping and we do lots of different things,” and she continued, “Spending time with them [is what] matters.”