As the holiday season approaches, traditions, keepsakes, and family gatherings naturally come to the forefront. Many of us feel a deep desire to make each moment truly memorable. But what does that look like? How does one find it?
Each family is unique, and each family member is unique, making your time together and your own moments of reflection priceless.
Throughout the year, I find myself reflecting on past traditions and considering what they’ve meant to me—both as a child and now as an adult. I notice how these traditions touch each of my family members, and the joy and meaning they bring into our lives.
As time goes by, like many families, seats at our holiday gatherings can go empty due to busy schedules, broken relationships, and loss. However, family traditions are still important, and honoring them is part of our legacy.
Passing along family traditions to the next generation is the key to keeping the memories alive while encouraging the creation of new ones.
While sitting in the hip surgeon’s office with my mom, I found myself reflecting on the past year—its challenges, its surprises, and the gentle reminder that life is incredibly precious. In the middle of that quiet moment, my mom noticed one of the doors leading into the back of the office. It was covered entirely in colorful Thanksgiving leaves.
Her eyes lit up. With a soft smile, she said, “My granddaughter would love that. It’s a great idea.” And just like that, a new family tradition was born.
When my daughter arrived home from school that afternoon, we couldn’t wait to share the idea with her. She immediately lit up with excitement, grabbing the leaves she had already been collecting from our yard. Before we even mentioned the tradition, she had been fascinated by the beauty of each leaf—its veins, its colors, its imperfections. She would study them closely, decorate them, and build backstories about where they came from and what “life” they had lived.
Now, with this new idea, her imagination had a new purpose. And before I knew it, three generations—my mom, my daughter, and me—found ourselves brought together by something so simple and deeply meaningful: gratitude.
Helpful Hints for Finding Your Next Tradition
- Be open to creating both emotional and physical space for your traditions to develop.
- Recruit family members, friends, and loved ones to join.
- Look for small details and messages.
- Use your imagination.
- Reminisce about family traditions through the years.
- Encourage family discussions.
- Journal about different ideas.
- Find meaning in each tradition.
- Identify connections between family members and their own life journeys.
- Most importantly, have fun and laugh.
