Traditions

Thanksgiving was hard this year. I'm usually not very bothered about being away from my family on Turkey Day because I know Christmas is right around the corner and I'll get to be with them then. Also, spending time with JD helps ease the pain of being separated from my loved ones in Texas. But, this year JD worked all day and Lindsey was in Utah with me so I think some of her longing for home rubbed off on me. On the night before Thanksgiving, Lindsey, JD, and I watched For Love of the Game (one of my Dad's favorites) on Netflix. The movie is a tear-jerker for sure, but Lindsey and I didn't really lose it until the credits started rolling and we remembered how much we missed Dad. We just lay on the floor and cried. (Confession: I had to Google the proper present/past tense of lay/lie. It's confusing and I'm pretty sure I misuse those words a lot. Embarrassing!)  Needless to say, I'm so grateful we have modern technology to keep connected!

Despite missing my family of origin, I find a lot of joy in the multi-step process of creating my own little family.  One way JD and I are doing that is by integrating his family traditions with mine. Right now, I'm reading a book about being intentional with how you spend your time with your family. I've been thinking a lot about how I can apply some of the author's ideas in my life. One thing I want my children to know is how much JD and I cherish our families. I want them to love both families equally and know how much we honor and respect them. Whenever we decorate our Christmas tree, I am intentionally going to take the opportunity to talk about our families.

"See? Every year when I was young, I got an ornament from my Mom and Dad. Gracy would write my name and the year on the back of each one. Then, when I moved away from home I had ALL these ornaments to decorate my tree. Which one do you like?" 

OR 

"It's going to be so fun to sleep under the tree tonight. Dad used to do this all the time with his siblings- just think about how crowded it must've been when they were teenagers!"

I am thankful for traditions. I am thankful for all the ornaments from home hanging on my tree. I am thankful for the magic of twinkle lights. I am thankful for the excitement of sleeping under the tree after you set it up. I am thankful for the start of this holiday season. I am thankful for families. Good golly, I am thankful.