Traditions........

I've been working on a project for the last several weeks that has been very special to me. It was a hand crafted Christmas advent calender for my grandson Brody. It's not so much the project that is important, but rather what the project means to me and hopefully to him and even his family as he grows older and the tradition it will bring to each Christmas observed.

I need to start out by saying that I have a very small immediate family. It consists of only myself and my three children. Add to that my partner Jim and my daughter's fiance and we number 6 people. And don't get me wrong, I'm not longing for a big family or anything of that nature because I love my little family just the way it is. I'm not sure I could adequately express in words just how much they all mean to me. So as a way of expressing my love for them I truly enjoy our times together and try to make any occasion special. It is twofold in essence because I want to create these experiences for all of them to enjoy and remember and yet all the joy that it brings returns itself to me. A little selfish maybe but it's ok I think.

This leads me to tradition.....family traditions. 'Tradition' is described as 'a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past'. The word 'tradition' is derived from the Latin tradere or traderer , literally meaning to hand over, to transmit or to give for safe-keeping. Traditions are most often carried forward from many generations past and are present in families today and move forward from there again. It's a bit different for my family in terms of the fact that I am the one creating these traditions for all of us and with that I feel somewhat a sense of responsibility as the matriarch of the family.......a good responsibility though. For me it is a wonderful gift that I can give to my family and have them take these traditions into their future lives.

We are social beings who all want to feel a sense of 'belonging' and 'connection' in a world where there is such a huge level of disconnect from others. With traditions we can come together as a group where there is a common element and it bonds us together even for a short period of time. Imagine for a minute that something gets in the way of a family tradition. It can create a sense of loss and disappointment and it could feel like something is missing. There is not a whole lot left in life that can be considered a constant. Traditions can be that way though. At least that's what I think. For myself I believe our traditions as a family keep us together and make us stronger.

My hope is that my calendar for Brody will bring with it a tradition that he and his family will look forward to each and every year. It is my gift to them.

My hope is that you have traditions in your life that you look forward to and can carry them in your heart with love and remember them for years to come.

Blessings to all...........