traditions
I’ve been thinking a lot about Holiday traditions. My family adapts every few years, but we are able to keep a few routines alive. Beef Wellington for dinner, driving around Haddonfield & Cherry Hill on Christmas Eve to see the Christmas lights, our Christmas tree predictably blowing a fuse causing a blackout in the dining room during dinner, my dad complaining about all the presents even though he purchased 1/3 of them. We’re able to keep some traditions alive year after year.
But what scares me is just how adaptive we’ve become. As my brother and sister paired off some favorite holiday traditions have fallen by the wayside. We spent this Christmas Eve at my brother’s in-law’s. My mom and I missed Christmas Eve service at HUMC. Their candlelight rendition of “Silent Night” has never failed to bring me to tears, especially when it was sung by the childhood best friend. I remember the 4 Christmas Eve’s (from 7th grade to 10th grade) I spent in a row going to all 4 HUMC Christmas Eve services and how by the 11:00 service I could recite the Homily. I remember the year my first niece, Alexis, was born and how my mom couldn’t stop crying and had to excuse herself when the Holy Family walked down the isle. And hopefully this year, I’ll remember celebrating Christmas Eve with some new family members, I just wish it didn’t have to interfere.
The day after Christmas my entire extended family meets and my Uncle Frank’s house for dinner, presents, stories, and meeting the 3-6 new grandkids that were inevitably born during the preceding year. And although I complain, and although it was hard for me to get there this year, it’s family, it’s a tradition, and its the holidays. And last night was just quiet. It’s been a hell of a year, and I get how life can come in the way, but it seems like half of my cousins weren’t there.
I think traditions are a source of comfort for me. They have the ability to put me in the Christmas spirit when everything else around me is changing and moving a little faster. My family has a lot to be thankful for this year, and change is so important, but I don’t want to lose the things that make us us. I feel like I’m the only one holding on sometimes.
