The truth is, tradition isn't really something my family is particularly rich in. Growing up, we were just as apt to be found asleep when the New Year's Eve ball dropped as watching it on TV; I'm pretty sure we have always been flexible with when presents are opened for Christmas; and, I distinctly remember eating lasagna or manicotti/stuffed shells on more than one Thanksgiving. Call it non-traditional, call it unorthodox, call it progressive... It's probably all of those.
Now don't get me wrong, I didn't grow up the Adam's Family or anything (well, not completely, anyway)... there were definitely years we did the Turkey and stuffing thing (or, dressing... potato/potahto) plenty of times. We opened Christmas presents on Christmas morning most years (though I once got them ALL taken away from me just moments after opening them... a blog for another day... and will eventually require therapy). And, I can remember staying up to watch the ball drop a few times as a kid...
So I find myself wondering what traditions Justin and I are creating. My mom created something called a Thankful Tree when we were little... a cutsie little thing that starts as a bare trunk taped to a wall, but grows day by day with construction paper leaf cut outs on which you write something you're thankful for to post on the tree. This is one tradition I've held on to, and I even introduced it at the Simmons Thanksgiving Extravaganza a few times - because it's even more fun with lots of people contributing. But, perhaps because J and I don't have kids, we just don't think to do those kinds of things that much.
So, this year... we spent Thanksgiving at our house here in NC. Tony only had 96 hours of leave from the Marine base in Jacksonville, NC, and so he couldn't travel all the way to Mom and Dad's in Ohio... so Ohio came to us this year. (Except for Dustin, who couldn't make it because he had to work, and whom we missed TERRIBLY... it has been a long time since we've all been together for a holiday... so I'm hoping for Christmas.) And so, our humble little abode hosted 5 people for a "traditional" Thanksgiving feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, baked beans, green beans, corn, asparagus, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Mom was very patient in teaching me how to orchestrate the whole thing with only 4 stovetop burners and 3 pots (the microwave got lots of attention!). And then we sat together at our little round table, pulled in the computer chair for a 5th seat... and made like Pilgrims and Native Americans around the table (without the exchange of typhoid and all that...). It was really cool.
The take away for me: Traditions are really fun, and perhaps even comforting to a lot of people. But maybe it doesn't matter if we eat Turkey or Pizza (which also happened at least once)... I want to take advantage of having the people I care about close by, and value the experience above the ritual.
One last note, I really did miss spending the holiday with Justin's family, too. We've been very lucky so far to have been able to split the holidays with both of our families, but that didn't work out this year. So, I'm really looking forward to getting to see them all at Christmastime. J did set up a brief Skype video chat session so that we could say hi to everyone, though.
Oh, and sorry there are no pictures... probably that's a holiday tradition most people have, too. Not us. :) Call on your imagination.
