New Year, New Traditions

Not a New Year Resolution... cause if you know me, you know... I don't do those. 

I do always talk about focus in the new year, and a search on my blog for "new year" and you can read a bunch of those, mostly about how the new year will bring new adventures... it always does, good or bad, bring new things. 

In my continued thoughts about transition, both in work and life, I was thinking lately about holiday traditions. My thoughts are usually always focused on the positive and the direction I hope the future goes in. 

This year though it was all clouded through uncertainty and transition, but also because I thought about how many holiday traditions might be ending. At first I was kinda sad about it, but then I thought, all traditions change, either slowly over time and evolve, or just go away, BUT the focus can be on the new traditions being created. 

Lot's of things did stay the same this year, like I love to cook a Christmas Roast Beast... a big Boston Butt, which also makes for some good booty jokes with the kids, amazing smells in the house, and leftovers all week. I drink an Irish cream of some sort while cooking and check it on while the kids open gifts. 

This year is maybe the last year for doing lights outside this house with Cruz. We have done it together since he was old enough to help, well before he was actually helpful... Ha. The tradition of sitting around as a family and decorating the tree is already kinda over, and I am trying not to feel some type of way about it. 

There are things didn't happen this year, and thats okay. Maybe you are reading this and also feeling some type of way about things that didn't go maybe either how you planned, or how they used to, or just changed. Maybe you lost a loved one, maybe you moved, maybe your kids grew up and didn't run down the stairs excited to see what Santa brought them... life moves forward, things change, it is okay. 

My focus... is on the fun new things that we did get to do this year. Maybe it was the first, and only year for it, or maybe they become a new tradition? Time will only tell, but I keep telling myself that all traditions start as a one-time act, on some day, being the "The First Annual"... 

Some maybe "First Annuals" here... Trip to Grand Rapids with Jenn and the kids to visit my oldest. This house and South Bend are no longer her "home" so we went to her home, and enjoyed time in her city. A ski trip, just me and the kids a few days before Christmas... hardly a tradition yet, and with Mother Nature all weird maybe never be a tradition, so this might have been the "First and Only Annual", ha. N got to stay and do Jenn and I's Sunday Brew Werks game time... usually we do it with the little kids, but they were in Detroit so we had an adult version with her and some friends who stopped in. 

Maybe a budding tradition... last year I did a new side view mirror on Ns car for Christmas, this year I did some other maintenance for her while she was here. Maybe not the most appreciated or fun gift, but sometimes gifts are as rewarding for the giver as they are the receiver. Another was doing presents with Jenn and the kids all together. 

As usual this blog is maybe just therapy for me, and hopefully therapy for you. All traditions started somewhere, they all end sometime, and they all get kicked off one year. Maybe 2024 was that year, or maybe you focus on making 2025 the year for new, and amazing, traditions.