Tradition!

It's time for me to resurface here on JtSD. Many things have happened since my last post, one of which was my 39th birthday. It was a great birthday with many well-wishes from friends & siblings, celebratory meals with our parents and old friends, surprises, gifts...and a little reflection. Entering your 40th year gives you cause for reflection.

Like most people, I have those nagging questions that linger in the back of my mind:

* Am I doing what matters most in life? Have I wasted my time or talents?

* Am I satisfied with the person I have become / am becoming?

* Am I happy?

* Are my relationships with those I love as strong as they should be?


Nearing middle-age,  I can honestly say that I am more often content with the answers to these questions than I was 10 or 20 years ago. I am less frantic about being perfect, more at peace with myself and others. However, with life as busy as it is in this stage of my life (with toddlers and teenagers, and everything in between), I have to make a conscious effort to keep things in perspective. Usually when I am not running around taking care of business, I prefer to do NOTHING. Maybe it's the "natural man" being lazy, or maybe it's a need for down time in my hectic life...but if I don't make a conscious decision, it is easy to disengage. As a result, I find that activities with the family or strengthening relationships fall to the bottom of my list.

So, at this stage of my life I am especially grateful for the efforts of others in making these things happen. I am grateful that my mom's siblings send out a letter every month in turn, sharing their wisdom and stories from their lives. They are often funny, and always inspiring. I am grateful that my sister Beth stops by most every week to visit. I love those talks. I am grateful for my parents and Mike's parents who call to check in, and come by and listen. I am grateful for old friends who make getting together every birthday a priority. I am grateful that Mike thinks of fun stuff to do with the kids, when all of my energy is sapped in the practical pursuits of life. I am grateful that my family gets together every St. Patrick's Day (in addition to the other bigger holidays) to celebrate...because we are Sullivan's after all. I am grateful that my mom continues to put it together.

After the corned beef and cabbage

Irish dance moves.
My camera ran out of batteries right after this or I would also have included pictures of the treasure hunt and yearly airing of "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"

I was thinking today about how important family traditions are. They are a kind of anchor for our identity. When my kids go out into the world, they will take these memories, and the bonds they forged with family during these occasions. They will take the self-worth that comes from knowing who they are and where they belong.
And that is a great gift.

To my knowledge the celebration of St. Patrick's Day is new to our family, only since my siblings and I have had kids. But before that there were the Rogers family honky-tonk, and rock-n-roll jam sessions / dancing (always dancing), Sampson family devotionals, reunions, horse packing and camping trips, holidays...these are the moments that make a meaningful life. Not the driving, driving, and more driving, endless errands, and laundry (laundry is my nemesis), bills (also my nemesis)...not the hundreds of urgency's that fill our daily lives.

Going forward into middle age and beyond, I want to make our family traditions and nurturing relationships with those I love bigger priorities in my life.