Traditional Changes

Tradition. Most of us have these in our lives and often they are found around family, friends, birthdays and especially the Christmas Holidays. Folks, I appreciate Tradition because it offers comfort and sanity in our craziness of life. Having similarities to look forward to each year brings satisfaction for some, and breaking away from these things can be difficult.

A normal Christmas Eve spent with the Dobutovich's consists of dinner together, taking part in the candlelight Christmas Eve service and coming home to open stockings, something we've done as children to bascially curb our curiosity till the morning ribbon-ripping session, when our family opened gifts together, and eagerly anticipated my mom's side of the family coming over. A big lunch always ensued followed by more presents and dessert that left us lethargically stuffed and sleepy on our sofas. This year, though, rocked tradition.

Elderly people are carriers of tradition. With them come comfort and stories. They carry a deep love and bind together families as if they were the roots of a brilliant tree. The roots of my mother's side carry many pores of tradition, travel, experience and hardship in their lives. They now also carry a physical longing to be pain free and with their maker.

This year, my grandparents were too elderly to leave the house and were not able to come over on Christmas Day as they once always did. We didn't think they'd be here this year, so having them was a blessing counted. It's like reading an incredible book; when you near the end of the story you are filled with some saddness, but yet you know it's not over. That is how I feel with my grandparents. They are here with us, but some tradition must be changed. The back cover is slowly approaching. But along with a back cover comes the front cover of a new book.

(My Mom's Side of the family came over to sing Christmas Carols with my grandparents on Christmas Eve)

There is much to be read in our storybooks, new traditions to come and seasons filled with fresh air await. I'm not going to deny the saddness the closing of particular traditions leaves me with, but I have discovered the comfort in a crisp new page of life longing to be read aloud.