Holiday Memories & Traditions

Purposeful Parent Tip:  Create holiday memories for you and your children.

It’s that time of year again.  Holidays. Or shall I say “holi-daze”.  We are all busy running around doing our best to make this time special and meaningful through gift-giving and family gatherings.  But do these preparations overtake the real meaning of this time? Are we letting the “bells and whistles” mean more than being with loved ones?

I can remember my mother getting ready for the holidays.  She had lists of things she had to do, gifts to buy, and cards to send.  We had the same menu year after year and she had its preparation down toa science. However, she also had six children to care for and a house to maintain. I don’t know how she did it, but every year, our table was filled with a scrumptious meal and desserts that would be the envy of any chef on The
Food Network.

My children were blessed to have been a part of many holidays at my family’s home with my mother, father and my five brothers and sisters. They saw first-hand all of us gathered around a bountiful table and more presents than they could hope for. Probably too many!) Since they were so young, they had no idea how it all happened, but they knew that it was a special time.

They saw a family gathered together laughing and partaking of an assortment of holiday breads and cookies with conversations ranging from the latest news flash to stories of my sibling’s childhoods.  They paid no mind to the stack of dishes waiting to be cleared or food items to be put away.  They just knew that the holidays were a time for families to gather together.  How it happened was of no concern to them.

My children are older now.  My family’s large gatherings have changed quite a bit.  The piles of presents have decreased to a select few.  The holiday menu has been altered now that my mom is no longer here to prepare it. The number of siblings coming home for the holidays has decreased.

But one thing is for sure.

They know that theholidays are a time for love and appreciation of those we hold dear to us.  My mom and dad taught them this important lesson every year, when we gathered in that small living room filled with love and laughter.

Merry Christmas!

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