Not everyone has the opportunity to grow up with their grandparents, so that makes it even more important to cherish the moments we do have with them if we're lucky enough to have them around.
After all, grandparents are wise beyond their years and know a thing or two about life.
So to celebrate them, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the greatest life lesson they learned from their grandparents. We gathered a few answers for you to read below.
1. "My Nana was a spunky retired kindergarten teacher. The Alzheimer's eventually stole her spunkiness but one quote (said during her last few years) will always stick with me: 'Be yourself and everything will be OK; maybe not for everyone else, but it will be for you!' She was the love of my life, and I miss her deeply."
2. "My grandad had a phrase: 'Joyful nights bring sorrowful mornings.' It's a lesson I am still trying to learn."
3. "First piece of advice: Take either the first biscuit OR the last biscuit. Never both. Second piece of advice: Spend money on your facial routine and on shoes — your face is the first thing people see and your feet will carry you all the way through life. Third piece of advice: Never turn up the opportunity to pet an animal."
"I still get choked up talking about my granny: she was the kindest, gentlest soul and the first death I experienced."
4. "My grandfather always gave cash to panhandlers and my grandmother would scrutinize him doing that, stereotyping that the panhandler was just going to buy drugs or booze with it. I remember being in the backseat of their car during one of these exchanges and my grandfather said simply and calmly, 'It's none of my business how they spend the cash, it's my business that I give to someone who asks for help.'"
"It has stuck with me ever since and, if I have cash on me, I try to give it to someone in need when I spot them along my way."
—Anonymous
5. "My MeMe used to say, 'Don’t wish your life away' when she’d catch me talking about how I wanted to be older. It was great advice. Always make the best of your current season of life."
—Anonymous
6. "Almost 20 years ago, I came home from college and she showed me an article about a guy (happened to be a friendly acquaintance of mine) who is trans and was trying to get our school to create gender-neutral restrooms. She said, 'I didn't understand, but he seems like a lovely young man.' She lit up, all smiles, when I told her I knew him. And when we saw RENT on Broadway, I asked her what she thought. She said, 'I didn't understand all of it, but it was very well done!' You don't need to understand everything and everyone to be respectful and recognize humanity in others."
—Anonymous
7. "Always carry an emergency $20 in your wallet. You will never know when you can't reach an ATM or run out of gas and have $20 to save you."
—Anonymous
8. "Despite being born a Black boy in South Georgia in the late 1920s, my grandfather taught me to never judge someone by their race or condition. He served and retired from the Air Force, went to college, got his bachelors, then his masters, taught school, and then retired as a teacher. His life was spent giving back to his country and community, and his example is the reason why I work in community development today. He taught me that 'Education is the greatest equalizer,' and if you're in a position to help someone or advocate for them, you should."
"He taught me that and so much more. I will eternally be grateful."
9. "Its nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."
10. "My maternal grandmother used to say, 'Handsome is as handsome does,' and I saw that she really judged people by their actions, not by their facades. I have tried to emulate her in my life as I could see what a strong individual she was."
11. "My paternal grandmother gave me the best advice as I became an adult. She said, 'A touch of class and a hint of grace will get you a lot farther than you need them to.' I have found this to be incredibly true. Simply taking the time to say 'Thank you for doing [blank]' or offering to help with some seemingly trivial task — "You need help getting [blank] out of your car? Here, I'll come with you" — really goes a long way in getting people to like and respect you."
—Anonymous
12. "From my grandma on immigrants in the UK: 'Come one, come all; there’s plenty of room.' That was such a surprising but simple lesson for me at a young age on tolerance and humanity."
13. "My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor who, after the war, walked across Europe to get to a refugee camp. She was just 16 or 17, but when she came across a girl even younger than her, she took care of and protected the girl for much of the journey. My grandmother had been subjected to unbelievable horrors and was likely starving and scared, and yet she protected others."
"She wound up becoming a leader in her refugee camp and, later, a special education teacher. She remained an unassuming, patient, and humble person through it all. I think of her every time I have the choice to do the easy thing versus the right thing."
—Anonymous