MY FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITION
I feel lucky to have grown up in a family built around traditions. For Christmas, my siblings and I always wrote little jingles or rhyming poems to serve as clues on each other’s wrapped presents. My mother and I had a tradition of picking a craft each year that I could make to give as gifts to my friends. My father taught my sister, Frances, and me the dance steps he learned with my mother at their weekly dance lessons by having us stand on his feet as he twirled us around the living room. If I had to pick one tradition that I hope would continue on in future generations, however, it would be eating dinner together as a family. We did this every night of my childhood back in Rocky Mount, and that end-of-day rhythm sank in as something sacred.
I think it is so important to pause after the busyness of the day and to create time to enjoy one another’s company. Bill and I live on our own, so now our dinners are mostly with friends (many of whom absolutely feel like family!), and I love to invite people of different ages and interests over to our home. The conversations enliven and inspire me, and I feel happiest at a table, sharing a meal and telling stories. And honestly, the table setting and the food preparation are second and third to the group being together! It’s my hope that everyone has a place to land at the end of the day with people they enjoy.
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