Tonight, while cooking dinner, I heard on the radio some advice from a family expert. This advice was nothing new, in fact it is something that I have already put into practice with my own family. The 'advisor' simply stated that we as adults with children need to cut ties with our parents during the holidays and start our own family traditions. He was quite emphatic about the importance of everyone doing this. Thank goodness that I have already been doing just this very thing for the last 10 years, of course it was started mainly as an excuse to avoid my in-laws and all there traditions that were so different from my own. Now, thanks to my kids never forgetting anything festive I have ever done from year to year, we have managed to load the three week holiday window full of our own 'special' traditions that my future daughter-in-laws will no doubt find unsettling to their psyche.
But, here is the thought I had after hearing this great advice. Why spend years building up traditions that your own kids for the 'sake' of their future families will have to walk away from? Years of excessive decorating, gingerbread house making, wassailing, Christmas cookie decorating, and Christmas Eve pajama gift opening, not to mention the advent calendars and Christmas parties with friends all so that one day my kids can say, "Sorry mom and dad, but my wife doesn't like you and the family counselor says we need to build our own traditions."
Will I find myself sitting around drinking spiked eggnog, listening to my outdated Harry Connick Jr. Christmas CD, while 'decorating' the house with what is left of my 20 plus year old fake garland? Odds are the tree will have long since gone the way of a garage sale. Perhaps my husband, the cats, and I will have started a few new traditions like watching "Elf" in our Snuggies while passing around the canned gourmet cat food.
Isn't a tradition by definition something that is passed down from generation to generation. If this Christmas time together thing is only supposed to last 18 - 20 years max, why do we call it a tradition? Perhaps a better title would be 'Progressive Innovation'. Okay, so those were the only two antonyms for 'tradition' that I could find. But, I think I've made my point.
By the way, as a side note I just want to add that I take no responsibility for my run on sentences, typos and grammatical errors. According to Jane Austen this is just part of my make up due to my preselected gender.
"...the usual style of letter writing among women is faultless, except in three particulars...A general deficiency of subject, a total inattention to stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar."
Northanger Abby
I want to watch "Elf" in a snuggie with you guys in several years. Sounds like a comforting, as well as enjoyable, tradition.I will pass on the canned cat food, but would surely delight in some undercooked christmas cookies instead.
ReplyDeleteConsider yourself part of the tradition.
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