Sharing Traditions

Traditions are strange things. I suppose there can be bad traditions, like Mommy getting stressed out over holiday planning every December and snapping at the kids. There are certainly great traditions, like family game nights or lighting an Advent wreath every night after Thanksgiving. But what I find both strange and wonderful is that how much certain traditions mean to my children.

My oldest daughter was recently with a group of other children when an adult asked about their Christmas traditions. I was interested to hear what she would say, but I assumed it would be something like decorating Christmas cookies, or making Christmas raviolis with my husband, or even our Jesse tree devotionals. So, I was surprised by what came out of her mouth.

“Every year we open presents and then go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”

Going to my parents' house for Christmas dinner was something we’ve done the past several years, but it wasn’t something I’d considered with the weight of a tradition. It was something I thought would change some time—we might host Christmas dinner, or travel to my husband’s family if we could afford the 3,000-mile trip. For her, it was one of the anchors of her holiday.

I realized again, as I do every so often, that for my kids it’s all about family. It’s who they are. It’s what drives them. Their day doesn’t start right if they don’t get a kiss from Daddy before work. It doesn’t end right if there isn’t a bedtime story and a prayer. Things that we began because they were important to us but that now carry the added weight of tradition behind them.

For several years I’ve been sharing stories and short quotes from my children with my friends on Facebook. It started out as a whim. “Wow, that’s so funny,” I’d think. “I wonder if anyone else will get a kick out of it?” For instance:

We watched Santa Claus 3 for movie night, and Moira was identifying all the mythical figures in the movie: "Sandman, Father Time, the Easter Bunny....and who's that supposed to be?" she asked, pointing.
"I think that's supposed to be Mother Nature," I replied.
"Oh," she said musingly. "I pictured her differently."

They did. What started as a whim became a tradition. Before long, friends and family were checking my page for the latest “isms.” It became a tradition. And like all great traditions, it became something to share.

So that’s what this is. I don’t have any sage advice or parenting hacks. No words of wisdom secular or divine. I’m not a DIY expert. All I have is three children, all under the age of 10, who see life through their own multi-colored and slightly skewed lenses. And we’re inviting you into this world with us, to share our love and lunacy, our humor and occasional heartache…our traditions.

Welcome.