It is 12:19 am on July 29, 2008. What the heck am I doing up? That's a great question. Could it be my husband is out of town which means he is not hear to remind me to go to bed? Is it because my 19 year old daughter was sent a platinum Visa card with a massive credit limit? Maybe because it is because I just spoke to my father in Las Vegas?
That is it! I talked to my dad. So, why does this keep me up? I think it is because talking to him made me think about "tradition". Still wondering about the connection? I will tell you. It is because my father brags that he has 5 daughters just like Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof! How many can say that?
The whole tradition thought process led me down the path of thinking what kind of traditions am I passing down to my children (and possibly others as well). Wow, that is heavy stuff. No wonder it is so late.
I know I have instilled a sense of faith, right and wrong, fair play, acceptance of differences, etc. But is that enough? What am I missing? Is there ever enough? That is what keeps me up tonight...
Now I sit here and listen to the Broadway soundtrack of Fiddler (really!) and wonder if I will get any sleep in the next few hours.
So for now, think about what traditions you may pass down...are they the ones you want?
1 comment:
I started thinking about your question, and wondered what traditions I've handed down to my daughter (other than routines or rituals, like how we celebrate holidays). Most dear to me is the tradition of affection. My grandmother was a stiff-upper-lip, tough old bird who was demanding and blunt - she loved her family but was not overtly affectionate. In fact, she once told me that I held my daughter too much! (My daughter was 4 yrs old at the time) I was flabbergasted that she would believe that showing affection was harmful! My grandmother passed her unaffectionate demeanor to my mom, who is much more personable and not as critical, but who also is not openly warm. Basically, on my side of the family, I'm the only one who initiates hugs; I have to open my arms and pull them in, and they react with tension and embarrassed smiles! Sad. I made a vow to myself that my daughter would know that I loved her and would feel it physically and emotionally. Now that she's a young woman nearing 20, I see the results: she is loving, warm, self-confident, and happy -- maybe not all due to affection, but I would guess it made a fertile growing ground for everything else she needed to learn. Thanks for making me think!
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