Traditions

My siblings like to call me the “Tradition Nazi”. Since I was very young I’ve always insisted that we do the same thing on holidays. Whether that be having our sibling slumber party on Christmas eve or eating turkey sandwiches before bed on Thanksgiving, we have to do what we’ve always done. (Just ask the in-laws!)

I didn’t think too much about my family traditions until I became a mom. My mom once told me that it’s important for a mother to set traditions--especially in large families because then everyone knows what’s going on and no one can get their feelings hurt. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have our share of hurt feelings still-- but no one is surprised by what “the family” is doing on any given holiday. This is yet another piece of wonderful advice that my mom has given me over the years!

One tradition that my mom set up was making us each our favorite meal and cake for our birthdays. I always looked forward to bbq ribs and black forest cake. I remember one year I asked for three different main meals and my mom made each one. ( My eyes have always been way bigger than my stomach) I have tried to carry on the same tradition with my own family. My kids aren’t old enough to realize it, but I’ve tried to make birthdays very special and unique for each person.

Today is Brian’s 28^th birthday. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!!) Brian is not a huge sweets fan, but he loves cheesecake! As I write this I have a Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake baking in the oven. (Only 1300 calories per slice!!) His pile of gifts is waiting for him on the table. Unfortunately, I have to go play in a soccer game tonight so we wont be having a grand dinner, but we’ll still have something special. The thing that I’ve learned by making birthdays a “big deal” is that it’s as much fun for me as it is for the person that gets spoiled. I have enjoyed every minute of making Brian’s cake and wrapping his presents. It’s not just a task that has to get done. I’ve used the time to pray for Brian and our family. Instead of being stressed out by all the work I have a wonderful kind of peace and calm. I’ve come to realize that the traditions aren’t just about the “doing”, they are about all those things you can’t see.

Even though it takes a lot of work to continue traditions, I plan to do my best to keep them going. It’s one of the reasons I look forward to holidays so much. Hopefully, as my children get older they will look forward to celebrating the traditions as much as I do. J
　
Today I am thankful for the blessing of my husband, Brian. God sure knew what he was doing when he brought him into my life so many years ago.　
Don’t forget to count your blessings today--especially the small ones!!