Family Traditions/Ceremonies/Rituals

[Sunny]

So, I am kinda speechless this afternoon.

Received a call from a friend. Her 19 year-old son was killed last night.

What do you say?

What do you do?

[followsthewolf]

I never know what to say.

I just try to be around if someone needs a hug.

[Sunny]

Yes...that's probably the best thing you can do in that situation.

[Henry Hawk]

I never know what to say.

I just try to be around if someone needs a hug.

DITTO!..

[Sunny]

Thanks, Henry.

[Sunny]

Just thought I'd share this here....
We had our first, very SUCCESSFUL (but tiring) playdate at our new house this weekend.

Only 3 moms and 4 little ones -- but it was perfect.

My youngest daughter (26 months), a little boy (25 months), another little girl (22 months), and my 4.5 year-old.

We then took the kiddos to the adjacent park & went on the swings...the slides...the merry-go-round (blech)...

Had a little snacky lunch and ended with ice cream at DQ.

It was perfect, if I may say so myself.

[Sunny]

Just thought I'd share this here....
We had our first, very SUCCESSFUL (but tiring) playdate at our new house this weekend.

Only 3 moms and 4 little ones -- but it was perfect.

My youngest daughter (26 months), a little boy (25 months), another little girl (22 months), and my 4.5 year-old.

We then took the kiddos to the adjacent park & went on the swings...the slides...the merry-go-round (blech)...

Had a little snacky lunch and ended with ice cream at DQ.

It was perfect, if I may say so myself.

Wow...the time sure flies. Many play dates later -- it's hard to believe it's been 3 years. 

/sentimental these days.

So, does anyone have a fun family tradition you'd like to share? The Easter holiday is in a week...does your family have any special celebrations?

[Sunny]

We started a new family tradition two years ago...it's really more of an activity, but it consumes several hours/days/weeks of the year.  Our little family of four has participated in the local cancer walk in 2011 and 2012 -- my children have volunteered and walked, helped with logistics, decorated our little town, and helped gather donations. We raised $2500 this year.

Our favorite part of the Relay For Life weekend is the "Luminaria Ceremony". It's a time when everyone quietly walks around the track with a single candle...the silence is deafening...and pays tribute to those who've lost their battle to cancer, have won their battle with cancer, or are currently fighting back. It's a time when we remember Mom and Sister, both gone from the world too soon.

It's a tragic reality that 1 in 3 individuals will be diagnosed with cancer today.

[Locutus]

That's awesome Sunny!  I've been down the cancer road with both my mom and my brother-in-law.  It ain't pretty.

[Sunny]

That's awesome Sunny!  I've been down the cancer road with both my mom and my brother-in-law.  It ain't pretty.

Sorry to hear, Loc. Cancer sucks! And it doesn't discriminate. There were several children at the Relay this year all currently battling the beast. One of these children is my high school best friend's son. Diagnosed with Leukemia in January and it breaks my heart to hear all of the procedures, treatments, surgeries, medical tests, and ailments he has already endured.

There are critics about entities such as the American Cancer Society, but it's a cause that my family believes in...with enough research, hopefully we will see a cure in our lifetime. (I'm a realist, so I know this most likely won't happen...but, we can dream).

[The Troll]

Sorry to hear, Loc. Cancer sucks! And it doesn't discriminate. There were several children at the Relay this year all currently battling the beast. One of these children is my high school best friend's son. Diagnosed with Leukemia in January and it breaks my heart to hear all of the procedures, treatments, surgeries, medical tests, and ailments he has already endured.

There are critics about entities such as the American Cancer Society, but it's a cause that my family believes in...with enough research, hopefully we will see a cure in our lifetime. (I'm a realist, so I know this most likely won't happen...but, we can dream).

  I am sorry too.  More research needs to be done.  My sister worked for the American Cancer Society in the office as one of the real workers.  She quite because the upper crust of the cancer fund ran around attending party that they threw for each other in expensive resort settings.  She was upset at all of the partying.  She thought that money should go to research.  But as we all know there are the workers and the gadflies taking advantage of the money.

[Sunny]

It's sad, but true, Troll.

Even in small non-profits you have extreme unbalances and misappropriations of monies.

The people who work in the trenches (and see the injustices of the system) get paid the least and most likely believe in the mission of the organization the most...

The people at the top reap the benefits, but do they truly believe in the mission?

Such a perplexing quandry. 

[Anne]

In our family, when someone dies we have a dinner after the funeral. Usually at someone's house, sometimes put on by friends or a church. It is generally not a sad gathering. When someone dies not in our family, everyone takes food or something to the house. Sometimes we take paper plates, cups, silverware, etc. or even paper towels, napkins, kleenex, or even toilet paper. With a lot of people around you can run out of stuff and sure as heck aren't in the mood to go shopping. Another thing we do a lot for close family we go to their house and clean, change sheets, wash up dishes, whatever needs to be done.

We have baby showers for first babies and wedding showers for weddings.

We have a family reunion every summer, I think this will be number 73, at a park with lots of food and games for the kids.

There really isn't anything to say when someone loses a loved one except to say you are sorry. I know that when we have had a death that it was so comforting all the people who would come to the funeral home and realizing that  our loved one would be remembered by so many people. 

[Sunny]

Thank you for sharing your family traditions, Anne. It sounds like we have a lot of similar ones....unfortunately, as an adult, we have experienced an attrition of family. I look forward to the day that our children have children and hope to revisit some of these traditions (e.g. Family Reunions). For now, the extended family we have is scattered all over the country.

My dh's family sees death as a "graduation" to the next chapter, so they don't spend a lot of time mourning...it's more of a celebration. With that being said, I struggle with the physical loss of family. My sister-in-law was just 43 when she died from Inflammatory Breast Cancer and I miss her very much.

[Anne]

I'm sure you do miss your sister-in-law. I lost two cousins who were like sisters to me and it was very hard. After my mother died, it was really strange to think I was the matriarch of our family, and isn't it strange to be an adult orphan?