A Thanksgiving Tradition--Embracing Gratitude

Each evening in November, when my children were little, we would all share three things we were thankful for that day. It was our way of embracing the spirit of the season. One year, when both my children were in college, I called them in the beginning of November and asked them to revisit this tradition via email. (They have always been tolerant of their mother’s unusual requests.)  Everyone emailed three things each day to each other.  It gave us a window into each other’s lives that we didn't usually get to see.  I went to the computer each morning excited to see what would be revealed. 

 Here’s a small sample of some of our thanks.

1.    Dad putting me in dance

2.    The Rockies

3.    Being with Freckles during her last season.

4.    Putting on the winter scarf

5.    A mother who wants to keep a family scattered across the country together via email

6.    My new roller-blades that I got for five dollars at the thrift store

7.    Playing hockey tonight

8.    Blackhawks on TV

9.    The smell of fall in the air

10.  70 degrees in November

11.  The kids on the block

12.  Billy’s stint selling Cutco – without it I would never have owned Cutco knives!

13.  I actually like my classes

14.  Potato leek soup in about an hour and the new potato peeler

15.  Hot cider

16.  Visits and scrabble with Granny

Unfortunately, family traditions can sometimes have a way of slipping through the cracks of everyday life. Thanksgiving is a day away and somehow I forgot to start the ball rolling on our three things.   

I've come to learn that we don’t need to do everything the way we once did to find value in our traditions.  Traditions are about connections.  They can morph a little, but returning to our traditions brings us closer together.  My youngest son goes to school in Denver and isn't going to make it home to Chicago this Thanksgiving.  So...maybe on Thanksgiving day we’ll all Skype and share three things about Thanksgivings from the past.  I know the Thanksgiving memory at the top of my list—my youngest son was born on Thanksgiving 22 years ago.

Happy thanksgiving! I'm grateful for this writing community.

The Masters Golfing Event - A Bit of History

 April Riddle

What do April, green jackets, Amen Corner, azaleas and traditions have in common?   

Answer:  The Masters.  

The Masters is magic and the one sporting event that I almost never miss.  The Masters is as close as we get to a royal event.  There is pomp and circumstance, golfing elite, ceremonial clothes and the honoring of traditions.  In this day and age of texts, tweets, instant gratification and disposable everything, tradition gives us a sense of continuity and of safety.

Players, caddies, announcers and spectators change, but the rhythm of The Masters remains the same.  We can count on first class play, immaculately groomed greens, spectacular scenery and a true display of sportsmanship.   

Tradition connects us with our history and foretells expectations of the future.  One of my favorite commercials shows a man following players at The Masters.  When no one is looking he picks up a divot, takes it home, builds a special display area and plants his piece of history.  We all want to connect with those things that are meaningful to us. 

I know this is a leap but I think this desire to connect with important things from the past is why libraries, the smell of a printed book, newspapers and family pictures hold such a powerful place in our hearts.

So, this month spend some time reflecting on those traditions that bring continuity and safety to your world…..and tune in to The Masters.

Martha Swirzinski 

www.MovementPlus.com