If we’ve learned anything from the death of Queen Elizabeth, it is that traditions are important. They keep us grounded, connected, supported, and provide us with a sense of identity
In times of sadness
In times of celebration
In times of loneliness
and
Even in times of chaos
If I was asked to describe our family life, chaos would be one of the words I use. It isn’t that chaos is a bad thing – its’ just one of our things. Four kids will do that to you. OK, one kid will do that to you!
Lately, we’ve been dealing with chaos throughout the day:
Morning chaos as the girls jockey getting ready for school in one bathroom, fix breakfast, pack a lunch, and get out the door on time with backpacks filled with school and sports equipment.
Afternoon chaos as I make my way through work essentials before I’m interrupted by the girls returning from school – while also ensuring the kitchen is cleaned and ready for the next onslaught of food prep.
Evening chaos as we make our way through dinnertime, homework and readying for the next day to arrive.
Weekend chaos of sport practice and games, Scout camping, social lives, catching up on work . . .
Taming the Chaos with Traditions
But through all this chaos, we are always focused on maintaining our traditions. Family traditions create closeness between people…a sense of belonging and identity. They link us to the bigger picture, and connect us to those who have come before us. Traditions bring a sense of security.
That is exactly what celebrating National Family Meals Month in September has reminded me of — the security I feel with our family traditions.
For us, it is more than the holiday traditions – rather, it’s the day-to-day traditions that add up. They are the ones I find myself most melancholy about, especially since Grayson is away at college. I know he’ll be here for the holidays, but those day-to-day, weeky, traditions are what he is missing.
Throughout National Family Meals Month, I was constantly reminded of our family mealtime tradition, one that has become harder to maintain as our children are growing up and spreading their wings beyond the walls of our house. But through all that chaos, we still striveto gather together for mealtime.
Beyond our tradition of gathering for mealtime, we focus on our mini traditions — breakfast burgers for enjoyment on the way to an early morning weekend sports event. A stop at A&W for a root beer float following a swim meet, the gathering on Saturday eve for some homemade pizza, even if we disperse to head out with friends following dinner.
I think it would be safe to say that the majority of us are experiencing chaos in our lives — whether you have children in the home or not. All too often we tend to fill up our lives with ‘events’ or ‘to do lists’ that the ‘chaos’ keeps us from acknowledging the mini traditions that are already in our lives.
Take the time to acknowledge the mini traditions in your own life – or strive to create them.
My ‘mini tradition acknowledgements’ for the last week include:
- A quiet moment for tea in the afternoon
- A game of chess with our daughter
- Saturday evening movie night
- And, of course, the dedicated family meals night!
How are you taming the chaos with traditions?
