Remembering the Past as a Family

Does every family milestone leave you feeling as if time is zooming past at an out-of-control rate? Look around. Is that pink-cheeked preschooler now a college student? Are you and your spouse celebrating anniversaries you once assigned only to senior couples? Is you mental “to do” list full of special things you wanted to do to make your family events more meaningful?

In our fast paced world, we struggle to keep up with everyday demands of jobs, house, and family. Somehow as the world goes whirling by, traditions get blown by the wayside. Without a connection to past generations, are children are missing their greatest inheritance, their family's history. But it's never too late. Try these five ways to remember your family's past and create your own generation of traditions.

1. Organize your family photos. An entire industry has grown up around scrapbook enthusiasts. However, you don't have to go to spend the money or time that scrapbookers devote to their hobby. An old fashioned photo album will do the trick. Borrowing on the “game night” theme, set aside an weekday evening or Sunday afternoon every week or so, get together as a family and start to organize your photos. Make sure you have some pictures from previous generations. You soon realize the day is not about sorting photos, but sharing memories. If your kids are grown, bring out a box of photos at holidays or family gatherings.
2. Give grandparents the stage. Senior family members can link us to two or three generations of traditions and family history. Historians understand this and spend a great deal of time recording the oral histories from octogenarians. However our grandparents and great grandparents are too of relegated to the fringe of family activities. Give them center stage at the next holiday and ask them to talk about their childhood and family traditions. Take a note from historians and record these conversations. Or make an event out of visiting grandparents with no other purpose than to sit and let them chat about their lives.
3. Cook up some traditions. Food is at the center of our traditions. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation. Get the entire family involved in cooking special recipes. Or create new food traditions for this generation. There are never too many hands in the kitchen.
4. Make memorable decorations. Forget designer decorations. No matter what the occasion, any mother will tell you her favorite decorations are the ones her children made at the kitchen table with glue, glitter and construction paper. Keep that tradition alive with your children and grandchildren.
5. Give gifts that will last for generations. Heirlooms don't have to be made of precious metals or jewels to be priceless. Give new meaning to “hand-me-downs” by passing on a treasured trinket. Include a written history of the original and subsequent owners.

As our families become less nuclear, with grandparents living across country rather than across town, we're losing our link to past generations. Even in this day of digital entertainment, you can keep old fashioned traditions alive. They are important to kids of all ages.

photo by Simona Balint