There is something valuable about including both old and new elements in our celebrations.
I love the old. The traditional. The tried-and-true. The passed-down-through-a-family.
I love that we have Christmas Morning Casserole every Christmas morning...and crock pot oatmeal (even though only three people eat it) and Mom's orange rolls (swoon) and fruit salad. Every year. And I love that we have the same schedule of activities beginning at 7 am when Mom and Daddy come to watch the girls open their gifts, through the comings-and-goings of the day, all the way to Christmas evening when the four of us tidy up and talk about the day and Ron falls asleep in his recliner while we're still talking.
I love that we have Thanksgiving traditions the whole month of November. I love that we always have a planning session for our Thanksgiving meal and then we all make the same things we always make and we like it that way. I love that we sing a Thanksgiving hymn before we ask the blessing.
I love that there are deviled eggs for Resurrection Sunday (although one year our deviled eggs got a new name) and a chocolate egg hunt for the children.
But sometimes there is room for something new.
And the "something new" can be very good.
Like last year when we learned that our faraway family was going to be coming for Thanksgiving...for the first time in six years! We altered our traditional Thanksgiving weekend plans and didn't mind at all. It was good. So very good.
Like our decision to make a little getaway to celebrate our anniversary this year instead of our usual dinner-for-two. It was good. (So good that we might do it again next year.)
Like Bekah's Resurrection Garden table centerpiece that she made this year, even though I insisted we did not have time to add another project and we didn't even have the materials. But she was inspired and she gathered her supplies and made substitutions and it turned out beautifully and we were happy that she tried this something new. It was a good addition.
Meaningful celebrations are often a blend of the old and the new.
This is Day 24 in the series CeLeBRaTe!! Click ~here~ to see more.
Old and new... They are the roots and branches of family.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming that there will be a future post that includes the recipe for your Mom's orange rolls... not so subtle hint!
More good thoughts. And I love your Ebenezer idea in the previous post. I wonder where you write them -- in a journal that encompasses many years? However you do it, what a beautiful piece of history for future readers!
ReplyDeleteThe old traditions are tried and true, as they were passed down from previous generations, we also found that new ones had to be incorporated when our children moved so far away, but like you that was fine, because being together was most important.
ReplyDeleteI have sung your theme hymn so much lately, I found myself singing it as I awoke the other day, it has blessed me so much. Your Celebrate Series has so inspired me. Thank you for sharing.
Sue
Oh how special to sing and pray...I love that some of those Mennonite Gals Who Cook sing the Doxology around the table...in four part harmony no less. Your home looks so beautiful with your precious family gathered round the table no matter the holiday.
ReplyDeleteI REEEEEALLY love this post! These pictures make me all warm and fuzzy inside!!! BLESSINGS TO YOU!
ReplyDeleteBreahn
Longview,Texas
You make a good point. I have seen holidays ruined because someone had a very specific idea of how things had to go and when they didn't go that way, that person had a fit:( Room for traditions and room for flexibility.
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