Holiday traditions change with time

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

I wonder how many of you are going through changes in your holiday traditions.

When I was a teenager, I used to say I enjoyed the holidays because I wondered who would be at our table celebrating with us.

I recall my first observation of this was when I noticed different aunts and uncles that would join us from year-to-year. My mother came from a family of nine, so you can see how this could bring a variety of people, places and things to our table.

Then there was the year my brother was in Vietnam. My mother invited four local military men away from their homes to come and celebrate with us. I still say my brother came home unharmed because my mother reached out to others who were away from home.

Then there were the times we added spouses, children and other family members and our holiday dinner table grew.

But the hardest change to make was when my mother died. Mom had a great gift of hospitality and put on elaborate holiday meals. I tried being the hostess the first couple of years after she passed, but my siblings and I couldn’t let go of our memories. Going through the motions, our souls seemed as cold and gray as the cloudy November skies.

The following year, my sister announced they were going to her in-laws. This became their new tradition.

I started my new tradition by cooking the meal for my immediate family. We settled into this new holiday routine. But as my sons grew, they took on wives and families that they had to share the holiday with. We did our best to plan the meal accordingly to times they could come.

When I became housebound with an illness, my husband cooked a turkey and we celebrated alone. When I recovered, we did our best to make rounds to the kids for the holidays.

My son Tim and his partner have done the hosting for the past seven years. But this year, they are changing their plans and hosting our family Thanksgiving meal on Friday. Ah, another change.

I know many of you have had to change your family traditions, just as I have. When this happens, let’s hold on to God’s grace to be flexible, enjoy the moment, and be thankful for what we have. For that’s the true blessing of Thanksgiving.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.