Family Traditions

I don't have typical family traditions. Traditions I remember the most were actually weekly and involved family gathering together around a favorite meal. Friday nights - what a special night of the week. Preparations for Friday dinner generally started on Thursday evening (example: what do we want for dinner tomorrow night?). Friday is when the work started - a weekly trip to the grocery store, followed by putting groceries away and starting a batch of homemade bread. A couple of loaves of bread were baked, and a pan of homemade pecan rolls were made with love and placed in the fridge.  This also allowed for homemade pizza dough to be spread into baking pans and favorite toppings placed all around. We were a little adventurous too - I remember a pizza we made with saucettes. However the family favorite, to this day, is beef and black olive. Yum!! The neat thing about these traditions - they take an afternoon to pull together. There is no build up of anxiety, it doesn't have to be perfect because we will be gathering together again next week, and it takes into account the preferences of the group. The family conversations at these Friday night meals are legendary. :) The next morning, the homemade pecan rolls are pulled out of the fridge and slipped into the oven. Such a yummy breakfast on Sabbath morning. These pecan rolls are also legendary.

These family traditions were started by my Mom. The interesting thing about my Mom is that even though these are favorite family recipes - if you ask her for the recipe, without hesitating my Mom will share her recipes. There are no secret family ingredients, no secret family recipes, no hoops to jump through to receive the recipes. This is just one of the many reasons I so admire my Mom. This gracious vulnerability is my example of how to share love and affection for others. I see it in my sister too. I watch my sister place so much time and effort into spoiling others with quality gifts that are both thoughtful and inexpensive. Sometimes though when recipes or gifts or affection are unappreciated, being graciously vulnerable doesn't leave any protective barrier to prevent being hurt either.

My Mom shared with me a Christmas Story when she was 10 years old. At 10 years old she came with her dad, who raised her, to meet her relatives in Iowa. They weren't expected and they arrived on Christmas Eve just before her cousins were going to open their Christmas presents. Mom shared "I wondered if there was a present for me under the tree." In fact, there was a Christmas present tucked under the tree, last minute, to make sure a little girl had a present to open. These are the family traditions that shape my life- welcoming family and friends and those in need, being inclusive, enjoying the Sabbath with my family and giving to others out of what I have (money, recipes, affection, food or gifts). I have decided that if I am even just a little bit like my Mom when I am her age, struggles and all, I will be an abundantly blessed woman. All of these thoughts have come to my mind as I watch people exhaust themselves trying to make sure that Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are perfect. Those are high expectations to place on a couple of days out of the year. For me though, because family, special meals, thoughtfulness, giving and caring and celebrating my faith are a part of my weekly experience during the Sabbath, I don't have to place such high expectations on holidays, because they are just extra days to celebrate what I celebrate all year long.