Monday, November 23, 2009

TRADITION
Definition:
established practice, ritual; celebratory observation

Do you ever do something over and over again and wonder "Why am I doing this"?
Traditions are kind of like that. Some you just do because you've done them and others you do because you've always done them AND like them. Most of the time you have NO IDEA where the tradition started in the first place, yet year after year, there are the same expectations.

Why do we have to have certain days and celebrations to feel things or do things for others?

I am thankful every day for so many things I couldn't begin to list but why do I need a day to eat a turkey to do that?

Why do I need a day to "feel patriotic" and watch fireworks?
Why do I need a day to "really love" my husband?
Why do I need a day to wear green and celebrate somebody else's traditions & history?
Why do I need a day to dress my children up so they can get candy from strangers?

And most importantly, why do I need a day to give gifts to others? Or decorate a tree and stick ornaments on it...or make my kids believe something that really doesn't? That is so far beyond what the actual day is about anyway. I think you all know the day I'm talking about.

I have started looking at the meaning of traditions, what they mean to me, and where they originated. The thought of being a robot and doing things because they've always been done that way, that day or like that is very unappealing to me.

Here are some traditions I do like:
Saturday morning breakfast with the family
Sunday church
Family movie night
Making a gingerbread house with the kids every December
going to the water park every summer
Enjoying dinner around the table together
date nights
Celebrating Easter and what it means
Sending a card to someone I care about

Those don't sound much like traditions that we know but they are the kind I like.

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