Thursday, May 8, 2014

Whatever Happened to - - - - - - - - -?

 So I sit here and realize I have no right to complain. I am blessed more then most and in more ways then one.... But - yes, I am going to complain, and many will think I have no right (if it helps any, I feel guilty doing so)
       What has happened to the old traditions? Some of the young parents today are setting a new tradition for their children. Children learn from their parents, and so it goes without saying that they won't know what days are special if it is not celebrated. That means their children won't know  the tradition because it will be treated as just another day.
        There is the possibility that young parents today didn't celebrate traditions because their mom and dad didn't, therefore they didn't know any better.
      Okay, I know I am rambling, it's just that I have so much I want to put down and it is getting jumbled up in my brain.
       There are 7 days in a week. Those days, for some, are filled from morning to night working, doing chores, being a spouse, caring for children, helping with homework, taking part in activities, being a chauffeur, and attending their children's activities. That's fantastic and wonderful that they do all that, plus they take an interest by going to all their kids extracurricular activities.
       Mind boggling for sure. I have 4 sons and when they were growing up and involved in different activities, it was hard for me to be at every one's activity if it was held on the same day at the same time. Their dad would hit two and I would hit two, but many times their dad was involved in one of the sons activities, so I had to go to the other 3 . Whew, we were all exhausted when the day was done. But there was "Sunday"
      Today Sunday is treated like any other day of the week. Of course hospitals, police, firemen are expected to work to keep us all safe, even back then, but it still use to be such a relaxing, traditional family day. Go to church, home for breakfast, read the Sunday paper, visit your parents or if lucky enough your grandparents, or they would visit us.
I use to go with my parents and visit their siblings too. What I use to hate is when we would stay for the weekend at my grandmothers. At that time children were seen but not heard, so I was ignored. While the adults gathered around the table I sat in the living room. At that time my brother was not born yet and none of my cousins lived close by, so it was quite lonely.  I found my love of reading through all those weekend stay overs and I lived the lives of Nancy Drew, Little Women, Black Beauty, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer.   I was a nurse, a detective, a farm girl, oh so many lives I lived reading those books. They saved me.
       Mother's Day - I know for a fact that as a kid we didn't have activities and our kids did not have activities on that day or Father's Day. Those days were set aside to honor our parents, those of us fortunate enough to still have them around. 
     Did you know when I was a child and teen, and even as a young adult, that on Mother's Day,  if your mom was living you would wear a pink carnation, and if your mom had passed on, it would be a white one. Another tradition that went by the wayside. And while I think about it - the tradition of wearing a hat and/or wearing a orchid on Easter has been forgotten also, just like not wearing white gloves anymore. I still have mine in my cedar chest from way back when.
       If I were a parent today and my kids had an activity on one of those two days (that only happened once a year,) they would not be permitted to attend unless it did not interfere with visiting their grandmothers or grandfathers .
      What the punishment would be I don't know. But I do know that in our house it was a very important that we spent time with both of my grandmothers and I carried that on when we became parents.


        Whatever happened to priorities?
      

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Dee's shared items

SO MANY THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR

This time of year makes me think of all of those things I have to be thankful for - - - -
my husband
my children
my grandchildren
my health
my freedom
always thankful for friends made