Sure, I'll Bring the Green Bean Casserole... NOT!

When imparted from mother to son, grandmother to the third eldest daughter of the first son, grandfather to son to grandson, older to younger, parents to kids, experienced to fledgling, it is more valuable than riches, yet cannot be held in your hands. “It” is a custom, a belief, an heirloom of your family... a tradition.

Circumstances can bring us to remember the most particular things at times, bits and pieces that are peculiar and probably even a little strange.  When I can’t seem to recall what I ate for dinner the night before, an announcement that school, any school, has been canceled for a snow day can flood my memory of hot chocolate and staying in my pajamas until 2 in the afternoon.  I have begun to instill this tradition in my son, whose first uttering when he saw the abundance of the white stuff outside his window was, “Snow Day! Let’s make hot chocolate, watch movies and not get dressed till dinner”… I am so proud he has taken to heart this time-tested, bonding experience that my mom passed down to me.  I know it is in good hands and when the time comes, my son will experience it with his own kids.

Most of the traditions I recall seem to be based on holidays and food.  I just know that all my comfort foods will have to be on the table to make a holiday feast complete.  Well, except for that nasty green bean casserole with dried-up onion rings and mushroom soup (which, by the way, seems to emerge exclusively on Thanksgiving or Christmas – does anyone eat this concoction any other time of the year? – and people insist on bringing.  Why? I ask.  Must be their own idea of a tradition or the only thing that takes less than 15 minutes to throw together.).  Word of advice, make sure heirloom customs are always in good taste and taste good… relatives do talk (as in, my Aunt Millie insists on bringing, every year for the past 25, this green Jello of sorts… not good and nobody is brave enough to tell her the truth.  However, it does give hours of entertainment and the anticipation of if she will bring it again excites even the most jaded… maybe she really does know and is in on the fun).

Showing how to cast the proper fishing line, with the appropriate bait; singing songs off key and at the top of your lungs – and doing a little hoochie-coochie dance along the way; cutting the center out of your birthday cake and snarfling it all yourself; using a cookie cutter to evolve a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into a rocket, an owl or Batman; going to the relatives; have the relatives come to you; building gingerbread houses and munching on the candy decorations; taking a long walk after the big holiday meal; scouring the woods to find the best Christmas tree; eating latkes with both sour cream and applesauce (how decadent); going to a movie in the middle of the afternoon on Christmas day; open presents in the morning; open presents in the evening; open presents at midnight; hitting the stores at 6AM the morning after Christmas for bargains… these are all memories in the making and worthy of sharing with someone special.

Go ahead, get going, it isn’t too late to create a remembrance that will last a lifetime or two.  A very wise man, Tevye, from “Fiddler on The Roof” said tradition is how we keep our balance and connect the past to the future.  The memories can kindle a happy thought of days gone by, with people that were willing to give a bit of themselves to the cause.  Besides, what would we do without Aunt Millie anyway?

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.                      

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-