Starting a family tradition can feel daunting at times. We start with an idea, then begin to imagine what it will look like: When? Who is involved? What will we do? How will we do it? Caught up in the excitement we may build a great imagination of it, accidentally viewing it years down the road. It’s elaborate, it’s established, and already we can see the fruits of our labor. But, wait. We haven’t even started yet. All that looks glorious, and all that looks difficult to pull off. We finish our plans with a sense of disappointment with ourselves, convinced we simply couldn’t manage all that.
And, yet….. Could we maybe take a step back from the story for a moment? Because that’s what it has become at that point- just a story. It can be difficult to recognize when we slip into creating the story instead of creating real life, but it’s an important step. In the story we have all sorts of what-ifs, in real life we have simply what happens. And, sometimes, simply what we can make do with.
Family traditions- as you can read in our series- can be simple or complex. But the complex usually take years to become. What makes it glorious is when you start with an idea and take the next step, whatever the activity is, to be together. Make space to let the moments shine through the chatter of your story. Open your heart to see and revere it. Then, take the greater step of doing it again. And again. And again. Before you know it, you are years down the road brimming with gratitude as you take it what has been created.
It’s as simple, perhaps, as just a walk out the door……
