Traditions

During this time of year, traditions take on special significance. Whether it's a particular meal or beloved activity, it often is less about the act and more about the people with whom it is done. For some, the traditions of the holidays are hard; they may bring on painful memories or reminders of different times.  For others, the last few years have brought people closer than ever after experiencing holidays apart. This year our own holiday plans have been upended by weather, leading to a long weekend with just the three of us. We baked, we danced, we played, and we created. It was delightful, but it also got us thinking about how family traditions come to be.

Husband and I are still trying to find our way when it comes to starting traditions that respect both of our upbringings. We want Little Man to know Hanukkah and Christmas, and we want to make Kwanzaa something he can embrace as he gets older. Right now he is too young to really grasp any of it, but that won't last long. Tonight Husband and I thought about the traditions we want to have for our own family. There is a strong desire for both of us to carry on memories from our childhoods, but life sometimes gets in the way -- people move or sadly pass on, or the demands of the rest of the year take precedence. The blending of two different backgrounds into one can also necessitate a new way of looking at things. We agree, though, that any traditions must come from love for those that are special to us.

We don't know what our future holidays hold. For now, we've come up with some ways to start building memories for and with Little Man. He loved baking with me and I hope that enthusiasm continues. I got to introduce him to "The Rugrats"and their Hanukkah retelling, and he experienced his first night of Hanukkah at the synagogue. Husband wants to start having Christmas decorations, which is never really something he wanted before; we envision using that space to surround ourselves with family photos that celebrate the year. As Little Man gets a bit older we are excited to light the kinara for Kwanzaa and find ways to make it a time of pride for him. 

We realize traditions aren't about having picture-perfect moments. Things won't always work out they way we want them to, but they sometimes have a way of working out the way they are supposed to. We sometimes get nostalgic for our own memories, yet we know some of the best ones are yet to come.