"You see, Mrs. Walker, this is quite an opportunity
for me. For the past 50 years or so I've been getting
more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we're
all so busy trying to beat the other fellow in making things go faster and look shinier and cost less that Christmas
and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle."
~Kris Kringle (Miracle on 34th Street)
Part 9 is dedicated to making new traditions. When I was kid, I use to think Christmas would remain the same, see Part 2 of this series to read about what Christmas was like when I was young. Then, all of a sudden, it wasn't. Something changed. I don't think I can really pinpoint the year it changed, but there came a point in time when Gram stopped making dinner, family stopped coming over and spending the day and it was just ... different. Everything changed, but didn't. Then we grew up, grew apart and now, if we see each other on the holidays, it's merely a coincidence.
So, Christmas traditions changed. But it never seemed to be the same. Then in 2001, when Gram died, Christmas would never be what she made it to be. Christmas, as we knew it in our family, died, with my grandmother. That first Christmas after she died was tough!!! And my own Christmas traditions really didn't start to become real traditions until 2007, when I bought my house, could have a real tree again and decided that I would be the one making Christmas dinner every year. The only thing that mattered to me then was that my daughter had a nice Christmas, and that she had some sort of tradition to count on each year just like I did.
As stated in Part 1, in 2004, my oldest daughter and I began our own new tradition of buying a new ornament each year for our tree, which I now also do with my youngest. Their first year out on their own, they will both receive their ornaments as a set to remind them of our annual Christmas tradition, which I fully intend on continuing with them even after they are all grown up and beginning to make their own traditions. I have made Christmas dinner for the past 5 years and my parents, aunt and uncle come over and share in a feast. This year is different, though. This year, the difference is what has changed during this year. A new beginning means new traditions will also begin.
Now to get to my point of this post, as one tradition ends, it doesn't mean that Christmas isn't what it should be, it simply means it is evolving. Imagine if everything stayed the same, how boring would life be? But there are certain things that people want to remain the same, forever. Unfortunately, forever isn't, well ... forever. People get depressed around the holidays, they miss their loved ones who have passed, miss traditions of days gone by and this causes them to hate this time of year. Holiday shopping becomes a hassle rather then memories to be made and people just seem to be too busy to really see the true magic of Christmas as adults. It's time to wake up and smell that freshly brewed coffee you make everyday and realize that as one tradition ends, it is up to you to create new ones, with the people that are in your life today, they are the ones that are the most important and are the ones who will help make new Christmas traditions with you. Whether your new traditions are similar to those of yesteryear or completely different, one thing is for certain, they are YOURS. And they are IMPORTANT. Don't let the spirit of Christmas get lost in change, embrace that change and let the spirit of Christmas live within your heart and start making new traditions that can be carried on and shared with future generations.
What has changed in your traditions and how have you made new traditions?
Peace, Love and Light,
Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com
Christine
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