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Traditions
It’s Friday. It’s July. And I haven’t posted a Marriage & Family Monday post on a Monday in I don’t know when. In my Draft folder, I have 5 drafts. Five! I don’t know when I’m going to get around to completing them and posting. So I’m taking the rest of this post to talk about traditions.
One of our family mantras is “have an adventure, make a memory.” Part of what makes life so memorable is visiting the same places over and over, doing the same things, eating the same foods, and creating happy times in that place.
This past weekend was the Fourth of July weekend. “My gentle readers,” please take a minute to comment on this post and share with all of us what traditions you have for the Fourth of July. Do it for people who are looking to build a family legacy of happy memories. My first post on the Fourth summarizes a conglomeration of traditions and experiences from the last 13 years of marriage. Building your own traditions for your family when you and your spouse come from different areas of the country can take time.
This year, we took a last minute trip to Memphis for the Fourth of July. Hallelujah! It was “the way it was supposed to be.” Hot. Sweating in 95 degree sun at Mud Island. Frozen drinks that thaw in minutes (instead of hours). Weird running bugs and enormous swallowtail butterflies. Grilling with a new Rub (The internal temp of the grill before it was turned on was 125+). Corn. Running through the sprinkler and chasing each other with the hose. Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream (better than ever). Germantown Fireworks (Running commentary by Rachel). 101.3 degrees. Crunchy Grass. Sparklers. Now that’s a real Fourth. No campfires. No blankets for warmth.
When my girls look back on the Fourth of July, I want them to remember sparklers, home made ice cream, and fireworks with the family. I want them to think about our nation’s history — why July 4 is different from June 4. I want them to have traditions and rituals that can be expected during birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, and Back to School. Building the same foods and activities into a special day makes a tradition, builds a memory, and creates exciting anticipation for next year.