Rooted in Traditions

I am a lover of change.  I thrive on notion of doing something new, mixing it up, striving to make it better in some way. Yet, I am a believer in traditions.  It goes to my very core.  Sometime I wonder if my traditions are just set by routine.  The seasons of our life that dictates what and when we do things. Calving, irrigating, chopping, decorating the store for Christmas.

 I can almost tell you to the date what and where we will be next year and what we will be engaged in.  It  becomes our routine of time throughout the year.   And every now and then we find the ability to throw something in that makes it tradition.  A summer nut fry party (tradition ~~ the second Sat in July).  4th of July campfire breakfast.  A cold beer after an evening of AIing.  Simple repetitive behaviors that become the enjoyment  and traditions of life.

Christmas is no different.  It is the time when we actually take time to think of our traditions.   I know we all have them.  As I thought back last night about our Christmas traditions at home..I kinda had to wonder what they were.  But soon I remembered the hunt of going to "town" for a Christmas tree and then dinner at an old Chinese restraunt.(something way out of the normal rhelm for  ranch people).  Mom having to put great big Christmas bulbs on her tree...when all Lynda and I wanted was the small tiny lights.  The new Christmas ornament each year that we received so when we became on our own we would be able to have a tree.  Dinner with the table set in Mom's delicate white china.  Shrimp cocktail, prime rib, and oyster stuffing, that I hated as a kid but would love to have a taste of  now because I know I would love it. Little things that became the memories of our Christmas past that were I'm sure Moms traditions and the things that now I miss the most.

There is also the Christmas traditions we have carried on.  A bell added each Christmas from two collections, one for each of us, that started in the seventies by Mom in which we have continued to add to each year, prime rib, shrimp cocktail. 

And call it tradition or routine, the night we all decorate the tree, we must have shrimp for dinner. Heading to Lynda's Christmas eve waiting for Santa to fly over and running out to wave hello.  Christmas morning always at our house with phone calls to Lynda and Jess to hurry over because we can't wait much longer.  Broccoli casserole that has to be made for Christmas (not that it is so special that we can't make it any other time of the year but it is TRADITION).  

All little things, nothing big, fancy, elaborate, just what we do.  What we do that makes it our home, our celebration, our Christmas.

This year we strive to find new traditions.  There are many people in my life right now that are struggling to adapt to new things.  Health issues, loss of family, struggles of daily  life that make the holidays seem somewhat hard.  But I hope we can all find comfort in a tradition that makes us have that one special moment of feeling at home.  Small little things that may bring a moment of sadness but also  a fond smile of moments, memories, that help get us through life.  

This years,  I have decided my new tradition (started last year) is to always make hot buttered rum mix.  Made some last night, sat down with lumps of ooey gooey butter, swimming through pounds of sugar  and ice cream...dumped in hot water and rum...and sat to look around, breathe and enjoy.... a simple measure yes,  but it brings me memories of Christmas times of past with friends over as the snow swirled outside.  The parents all having a toddy while we kids rummaged throughout the snow, building forts and sledding........... my own little moment of traditions and magical tastes of memories...........

Comments

[Valerie]

I loved the trip down memory lane. It made me think of some of my family traditions. Thanks, I needed it today!

[Sydney]

I still will not have oyster stew on my table! I tried carrying on traditions too, but that one never made it to my table!