It seems we’ve come up on another annual marker where displays of various traditions are pulled up from under the stairs, dusted off and rolled out onto the front lawn. As the world shrinks, people from different approaches to family traditions find themselves blending, mixing and somehow making it all work.
It applies to just about every celebration where we give thanks for the bounty of the earth in general, the chance to share our happiness with the people who are important to us and to discover anew the marvel of how well turkey goes with ham.
Mark’s Mom has a tablecloth for every holiday, Hallmark or otherwise plus there is a bi-weekly (that means every two weeks, right?) Family Dinner with mandatory attendance for all the children, spouses, sig. others, grandkids and any friends of the aforementioned passing by…seriously. After 20 or so years, I still get the hairy eyeball anytime I say, “gee dear, why don’t you go with the girls, I just want to stay home this time and stick my head in a nice quiet oven…”
My mom? Let me put it this way, one day dad came home with a present for her and her extremely suspicious reply was “What’s this for? What did you do?”…”Married you, poopsie, about 20 years ago….today….”. I remember the day she was talking to a friend on the phone once, looking at the calendar trying to pick a date for a get-together…”Nope, going to a play that night,;…ah, no…John’s sister is in town…no, I’m not sure why that night won’t work…nothing written here but I’ll get back to you…”
Yes, it was her birthday…
It took a few years before Mark stopped being a bit miffed if I didn’t pull out the banners and yard decorations for St. Swithin’s day (he is a weather geek, after all) but he’s getting used to it. Over the years we have found the way to build our own traditions and the day will come when our daughters will start finding the way to weave their own family traditions out of the threads we have given them.
I’m not sure what they will finally look like but I’m pretty sure there will be laughter, love, perogies, tortiere and cake.
We are simple creatures at heart.
Enjoy this weekend of the Vernal Equinox with the celebration tradition of your choice.
Blessings and Peace.
