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| Grandson Leighton at the Dog Train Party! |
Life, and I mean my adult life…started for me October 7, 1966. Driving cross country through the mountains with the brilliant glow of the reds, yellows and golds of the trees welcoming me to Pennsylvania, I entered into a family that was grounded in unconditional love and I could feel the change and I embraced it’s every core!
A holiday has never been just the day for me. There is such joy in the planning, the preparation and the day….well the day for me is sitting back and watching all those I love and care for enjoy themselves.
Halloween presents itself with a chance for me to dress up with the kids and go trick-or-treating. As they got older and didn’t hang with “M-O-M”, I would dress up anyway and greet the kids at the door. One year I dressed in an old black witches outfit, with a big hat. I sat on our porch with a large bowl of goodies, head down and still, and when I would see their feet I would pop my head up with a scary “Happy Halloween”. Those who came to my door grew to know that Mrs. Ford would be doing something silly.
The pumpkins and fall decorations would hang around through Thanksgiving. Joined by the pilgrims and the great planning for our Thanksgiving meal. The Ford family gathered either at Grammy Ford’s or my house. We are a foodie family which always creates such great excitement amongst us. The joy for me as I watched the Ford family gather was how, no matter how much time had passed between visits with one another, there was always such a great presence of celebration (and without the drunk fighting). The tradition carries on today at my son and daughter-in-law’s home.
Christmas….ah Christmas. I feel sorry for those who put all their effort into just THE day. For me, from the moment Thanksgiving is done until I am forced to take the holiday decorations down, it is Christmas. When my kids were young we would do the advent wreath. It was such a joy to stop the day's hectic schedule, light a candle, pray and read a Christmas story to them. Letting each one take a turn to open the advent calendar door or window. One year to add the spirit of love and the spirit of giving to the lesson I began the tradition of a “secret Santa”. They had to draw each other’s name, keep it a secret and at least once a week do something nice for that person and not tell them. It was only at the end that they were allowed to share who they were.
Along with the normal prep for the holiday I would have the kids make things to give as presents, instead of buy them. One year we created a calendar and they had to pick a date at least once a month and write a promise to that person. During the year, we had to keep track and fulfill that promise. It could be a car wash, a visit to the grandma’s, or bring a dinner to them. Grammy Ford told me once this was her favorite!
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| Our neighborhood after a storm! |
One year I drew a picture of Grammy Ford’s house and we had notecards made up. The kids helped me find the right little basket, and we wrapped them and put ribbons around them. I can still remember how excited they were.
There was always the homemade Christmas decorations for the tree. I loved teaching them the lessons of giving.
New Year celebrations would round out the season. They were always fun, yet not rowdy or crazy. A small gathering of friends, or a dinner. But a round-robin of phone calls to the family not there always came at midnight.
When the older generation passed, it took a couple of years for new traditions to take hold. In my life since losing Pat, I take great comfort in the fact that I know what we are doing for these family gatherings. Life is so busy the rest of the year, and there can be many lonely moments, but not the holidays. It is a time for us to come together and celebrate each other, catch up, and be reminded of what is truly important to our life, and that is the love we hold for each other.
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