Tradition

Tradition.....you know the problem with tradition....it's just that...it's a tradition. It's one of those things that conjures up both good, happy fond memories, along with sad memories. Traditions as much as I love them... cause me angst.

I was raised in a family full of traditions. Tea and crumpets on Sunday afternoon, special dinner items only cooked for special occasions like Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Halloween and the bon fire and fireworks with the neighbours. Getting our new Easter and Christmas outfits. Regular visitors we would have for the holiday celebrations.

Then there were the Birthday's. Rule number one....if you were the birthday person you didn't have to do any chores .....Rule number two....you got to sit at the head of the table in Dad's chair for dinner. Rule number three there would always be jello, ice cream and cake for dessert! It was your day!

I grew up on so many traditions I never realized that traditions were in the making until I started repeating them when I was raising my own family, at which point I found myself starting some of my own traditions. For my girls for their 16th birthday I would have a huge family gathering I would rent a hall and decorate it to the nines, music food and dancing. I also made a big deal for the Prom night....I always had their friends over....I'd make appetizers, and have bubbly for the graduates....they would have the limo pick them up at our house....I felt so privileged to be able to share this with my girls and their friends.

My girls call me the queen of festive decorating. From fall to summer I would have the house decorated for the season. When the girls were little I would take them to the park and we would pick up leaves bring them home...I would iron them between wax paper then cut them into shapes and put them on the windows....they soon began to expect the house to be decorated...and if I hadn't started the decorating for an occasion they would tease me.

Another tradition was at Christmas...when my girls were little and two of my older sisters had smaller children as well. My sister Eileen would have all the children over and we would make gingerbread houses. Eileen would have made all of the gingerbread pieces from scratch for the houses...it was the best gingerbread I have ever tasted. I know my girls could hardly wait to go to Aunty Eileen's. At Christmas when my youngest was about three I started a tradition of reading them the book Polar Express. It is now compulsory to them that this story be read every Christmas Eve...my eldest is now 24 and she still expects to hear it.

So where is the problem with all of that? Well sad but true time marches on....people we have loved and who have been such an intricate part of our lives have passed away and with their loss some of those traditions have gone, and are now only memories.

As much as I love spring...it is also a difficult time for me. My father, my sister and my niece all passed away in March and April. Then along comes September and the fall and I think of my mom who passed away. Losing more traditions and thus making more memories.

So my problem with traditions is that they bring fond memories but also sad ones. This past Easter I was spending it with my stepsons and my hubby's family. My girls were with their father and my family. My sister hosted Easter dinner for 28 people. Her husband had sent out a request to all who were attending asking them to make a little presentation. Well apparently it was a great success. My girls grandparents who are 84 and 85 years old performed a song. Grandpa played the harmonic while grandma sang Springtime in the Rockies....I am told there was not a dry eye in the house. It just so happened that I called my sister's place to wish everyone a happy Easter at the same time these festivities were taking place...they put me on the speaker phone and I ended up reciting the St. Francis of Assisi poem I had posted on my blog....but rather than read it...I sang it as I was taught in elementary school. Ah....yes more memories in the making. I just wonder if brother in law is now going to make this an Easter tradition?

Here's to tradition and memories. Although they cause me angst I treasure each and everyone of them!