Can you believe the holidays are already upon us? It’s as if I woke up from a long nap recently to realize that Thanksgiving was only a few days away. Man oh man, how time flies. I remember as a girl, time seemingly stood still. It took forever it seemed for Christmas to come around each year; for my sixteenth birthday to arrive; or for summer vacation to begin. 

This time of year, memories of long gone times and traditions dance like sugar plums throughout my head. Traditions, this passing down of sentiments, beliefs, and customs from generation to generation can be wondrous things. They make us feel apart of something great, and fosters a feeling of connectivity with our loved ones even when we are separated from them.  

One of my own childhood traditions was hanging up my stocking to be filled with treats. Mind you my stocking wasn’t one of those pretty ones that you see today all decked out with ribbon, animal fur or beads. My stocking was actually a knee sock that my sister and I wore on our feet 364 days a year, and would once again darn once Christmas was over.  However, came Christmas morning they held an apple, an orange, some assorted nuts, a giant candy cane and a handful of rainbow-colored hard candy. Thinking back, this was not the most sanitary of traditions, but a tradition none the less.

Since becoming an adult I have created my own traditions. Like many, I wrote out my Christmas cards over the Thanksgiving holiday. I penned notes to friends and loved ones whom I haven’t heard from since this time last year and dropped them in the mail box so that they would be on their way the first week of Christmas. This weekend I’ll probably hang up the twin wreaths on the double doors that lead into my house and hang red bows on the front porch railings and the outdoor lamp post. Once again the Damask table cloth my mother always used for holidays will grace my dinner table. Hey, it is tradition. 

Other traditions I’ll have to ponder. Will I have turkey and ham…. again?  I had both for Thanksgiving.  Sometimes traditions can feel a little stifling. For example, some people always serve turkey on holidays, whether they like turkey or not, simply because their family may have always served it for Thanksgiving and Christmas when they were growing up.

What would happen if I choose to have, say, Barbecue, pizza, even Tofu? Will my holiday rebellion be reported to Santa? Will I regret my decision when next year rolls around to discover my beautiful, faux-fur stockings filled with coal? While I adore pets, I can do without that partridge in a pair tree or those calling birds. Knowing my spouse, he would ignore their mess, and I’d be the one responsible for cleaning up after them. 

For a while now, our annual tradition at work has been to sponsor families from Grady Health System’s Pediatric Department whose lives have been touched by HIV/Aids.  Alas, some traditions are worth continuing.