Member-only story
Why I Need to Stop Trying to Recreate the Past
Regardless of whether or not my adult children care.
Traditions are important. They ground us in our collective history, bind us together across generations. Some of the traditions we share in our family were passed down to me, but my husband and I have created many of our own in raising three kids together. It’s been a blessing and a curse — joyful in the moment, but sad when it’s time to let go.
I woke up the morning after Christmas with a familiar emptiness in my gut — the feeling that first struck me back in elementary school when I learned the truth about Santa Claus. After believing in “the magic” for so long, there comes a monumental letdown when you finally understand that it’s time to get real…to grow up…to move on.
Perhaps that’s why I continue to send out holiday cards adorned with photos of my grown children. They’re not cute babies or toddlers anymore. There are no more coming-of-age milestones to share. No more dance recitals, choir concerts, sporting events, proms or graduations. But I still find pleasure in choosing the pictures that best represent our year, laying them out in a collage and selecting the right font and color combination before printing the cards and sending them out to family and friends. Has this annual tradition run its course? My husband thinks…
