Traditions

Traditions are good. They are predictable, anticipated and usually meet our expectations. We look at our calendars and make our annual plans for Christmas, birthdays, Thanksgiving, etc. Our immediate family have inadvertently created traditions that Brenda and I didn't realize were so until our kids, Josh and Betsy, brought them to our attention.

One big tradition has been on Thanksgiving. Right before dinner we all gather and stand at the table for a family photo which usually ends up being our Christmas portrait of sorts. Then after the feast we go to the computer and choose a new movie to see at a local theater. It's simple, and almost sounds dull, but it has become a powerful tradition to which we all look forward.

Since Josh and Betsy have both married, and their spouses rightfully have a say in their holiday schedules, Thanksgiving this year will have to be tweaked. Josh an Amber will visit her family three hours away, and Betsy and Adam will share the weekend between his and our family. As Brenda and I look back over our 25 years of marriage, we see the changes that have inevitably happened to us as our family grew. Sometimes with a move, a death, or as the children grew up and moved away, our long-standing traditions had to be altered. It is a change we must ultimately accept.

Change is a good thing. Maybe within a few years we will have additions to our family and my name will go from Dad to Grandpa. In that case, I will look forward to the holidays all the more. I know that Josh and Betsy's families will grow--new traditions will evolve and schedules will need to be adjusted. But being a grandpa is a change for which I can easily adjust. No pressure, kids!