As we are getting settled into the last quarter of the year, there are plenty of things to look forward. For me, this time of year brings about warm things: sweaters, beverages and blankets. It also presents an opportunity to exercise traditions. Not just the specified holiday days but the traditions that serve at the foundation; the traditions of love and family. For me, these two words have changed over the course of my life. Love looked differently when I thought I knew how to love someone else, only to find out we both viewed love differently. How the loss of a loved one identified the hole that was left without their love. The impact of love became more resounding as I moved from state to state in pursuit of my career. It has been 18 years since I had the rhythm of going to this cousin’s house on Thanksgiving Day with the hope my parents would let us stay the night and drive back in the morning. That rhythm has been replaced with a schedule impacted by travel plans and occupational responsibilities. Now more than ever the value I put into family means more. Not just the family I was born into, but the family I have chosen along the way. They all come from different walks of life and we all share a moral grounding. It is that we have built a “framily” and we accept each other fully. My ability to find home in new states is a credit to my family establishing the values of family. The main emphasis being the support a family holds and the dependability I can always rely on. As you all venture to your various places to celebrate your traditions, remind yourself that the love you share is the foundation of the family you choose to engage with. Enjoy your traditions as I know I will thoroughly enjoy mine. Until next time….
