Traditions
"Tradition, Tradition, Tradition!" belts the song from Fiddler on the Roof, and at no other time in the year than Christmas does Tradition take such a central role in our lives. I've always thought that traditions haunt our lives like the Ghost of Christmas Past. Traditions don't allow us the freedom to move about our lives in the many directions they must go. Traditions get in the way of impromptu events and spontaneous new traditions.
Last night my wife visited with her parents at their house. In the tradition of the Boyd family, they sat around and watched A White Christmas--a wonderful old classic that takes place in my native New England. But I've seen it a couple of times now and had no desire to join in the tradition. I told my wife that I just don't get it, the whole tradition thing. And if you are one who holds to tradition, I don't want to downplay what is meaningful to you, but until this morning, I didn't understand.
As I live three thousand miles away from my immediate family, Christmas time is difficult to deal with. I miss the great possibility of snow on Christmas Eve, the chillingly clear nights that make the moon glisten. In preparation for my annual Christmas call, I called my mother to find out when they would be at my Grammy Mac's on Christmas Eve and when they would arrive at Aunt Barbara's for Christmas dinner. But this Christmas, I will be calling my older brother's house on Christmas day--and Grammy Mac's on Christmas Eve if I want to talk with everyone else.
For the first time that I can remember, my parents and siblings will be breaking our tradition--even though I had never thought of it as that. I was a bit stunned. Even though I rarely get the chance to be home for Christmas, I know where I would be if I was. Grammy Mac's provided me with so many great Christmas Eve moments--intoxicated Santa's, Kevy's meatballs, and the 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story starring my older brother when he was a kid. (I'm sorry Keith, but you did look like him) If I had to be so far away on Christmas Eve as an adult, at least my parents and siblings would be there for me. If they were there, than in a way, so was I.
So there it is. I do have traditions. But like rules, traditions were meant to be broken. So enjoy your traditions and maybe start a new one.
Last night my wife visited with her parents at their house. In the tradition of the Boyd family, they sat around and watched A White Christmas--a wonderful old classic that takes place in my native New England. But I've seen it a couple of times now and had no desire to join in the tradition. I told my wife that I just don't get it, the whole tradition thing. And if you are one who holds to tradition, I don't want to downplay what is meaningful to you, but until this morning, I didn't understand.
As I live three thousand miles away from my immediate family, Christmas time is difficult to deal with. I miss the great possibility of snow on Christmas Eve, the chillingly clear nights that make the moon glisten. In preparation for my annual Christmas call, I called my mother to find out when they would be at my Grammy Mac's on Christmas Eve and when they would arrive at Aunt Barbara's for Christmas dinner. But this Christmas, I will be calling my older brother's house on Christmas day--and Grammy Mac's on Christmas Eve if I want to talk with everyone else.
For the first time that I can remember, my parents and siblings will be breaking our tradition--even though I had never thought of it as that. I was a bit stunned. Even though I rarely get the chance to be home for Christmas, I know where I would be if I was. Grammy Mac's provided me with so many great Christmas Eve moments--intoxicated Santa's, Kevy's meatballs, and the 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story starring my older brother when he was a kid. (I'm sorry Keith, but you did look like him) If I had to be so far away on Christmas Eve as an adult, at least my parents and siblings would be there for me. If they were there, than in a way, so was I.
So there it is. I do have traditions. But like rules, traditions were meant to be broken. So enjoy your traditions and maybe start a new one.
posted by Mr. McNamar at 1:49 PM
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