It's Tradition...

I am thankful for traditions. I believe the following quote sums up my feelings on the subject...

Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe, aren't even aware of. - Ellen Goodman (1941 - )

Because today is Thanksgiving, I am feeling nostalgic enough to share this photo of six-month-old me basking in the afterglow (or horror) of my family's Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, it was taken in "artistic black and white" (like a Woody Allen film...) to deeply impress on the viewer the pathos the baby is feeling about cleaning up after such a feast! (On the bright side, at least I wasn't sitting at the kids' table!)

My mom was amazing about cooking for a crowd. She did it every weekday at her job as a school kitchen manager and she did it every Sunday for her family. She always made Thanksgiving seem special, though. Her methods, dishes and flavors still seem like the "right" ones, no matter how many years I spend at Thanksgiving tables other than hers. I guess that is the definition of tradition...the expectation of certain feelings, elicited by particular sights, sounds, smells and of course, tastes.

I grew up with very standard Catholic family traditions. On Christmas we put up our Nativity set along with the Christmas tree and stockings. At Eastertime, in addition to the Lenten reflection and abstinences, we celebrated with an Easter egg hunt in the back yard, and enjoyed Easter baskets filled with exquisite solid chocolate bunnies from our local candy maker. These traditions defined those holidays for me as a child, but as an adult they serve to remind me of the gatherings and the people they brought together.

Now that I have married into a family who celebrates Jewish holidays, I am exposed to so many different traditions. These celebrations have reinforced in me how precious and sacred tradition is to all families. Learning about traditions that are unfamiliar to me as an adult is even more beautiful because I absorb the significance with adult sensibilities instead of a child's unquestioning acceptance. Learning "why" has been a meaningful journey into some new (for me) and beautiful traditions. Sharing celebrations with Scott's family has been a very effective means to learn more about his family, whom I love deeply.

Traditions bind us together as a family, as a society and as humankind. They help us remember what is truly important. That's why I am thankful for tradition.