Participants in “Write 31 Days” pledge to write for 30 minutes on a single topic every day in October. My topic? Happiness.
Looking back on days 1-9, it seems like a lot of “this is what I need to work on” going on. That’s great. To strive to improve is noble, but it can also be disheartening. It’s time to think about what I’m already doing well as far as happiness.
One of the thinking/talking points in Gretchen Rubin’s complementary study guide guide to The Happiness Project is “memories and traditions.”
I can see why the two are lumped together. Today’s traditions are tomorrow’s memories. We do have some family traditions of which I can be proud.
Vlasic Family Time
Because of David’s schedule, we aren’t able to eat together as a family as much as I’d like. That was an integral part of my childhood, so it was hard to see that tradition slip away. But– in order to maximize the time we do have around the table, we started drawing a discussion question out of a pickle jar.
I’m often surprised by the kids’ answers. Yesterday’s question: “What are you most afraid of?”
Cee: tarantulas
Elle: giant, people-sized ants
Moe: aliens (how does he even know about aliens!?!?)
Hey guys, if those are the things you’re most afraid of, we really don’t need that night light on anymore.
Yearly Family Pictures
We get the kids’ pictures taken each year near their birthday at a professional studio. (The coupons JC Pennys offers means we often get professional family and/or individual portraits done for $20 or under. Not as modern or artsy as a professional photographer, but waaaaay less expensive.)
We have a three-ring binder with page protectors that holds all the old pictures that aren’t currently on display around the house. I’ve put them in order so we can easily see each of the kids grow in age and our family grow in members. Before kids I was a scrapbooker. Someday I’d like to get back to that. In the mean time, this binder is a family treasure.
Advent/Christmas
We celebrate St. Nicholas’ feast day with presents and fun activities.
We mark the feast of St. Juan Diego and/or Our Lady of Guadalupe by reading stories and eating tacos.
On December 13th, the feast of St. Lucy (which means “light”) we drive around to look at Christmas lights. Sometimes we pick up day-olds from Jimmy John’s to munch on the way.
We light the Advent wreath candles at dinner time and decorate the house.
Last year David made ginger ale for our little family’s Christmas celebration, and the kids have been talking about doing it again this year.
Birthdays
The birthday kiddo gets to choose a cake and a meal. Since we’ve shifted away from grains and sugar, that means we’ve gotten good at appreciating even simple attempts to mark the day.
Turns out that taking 3o minutes to write out some of our best traditions did a lot for my happiness. Most of what we do isn’t pinterest-able, but “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.” If I had spent longer writing, I could have come up with more: like having bacon on Sundays for breakfast or stopping by the church “to say hi to Jesus” on our family walks.
I’m proud of our traditions, our memories, and they happiness they create in our family.
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Day 1: The Evolution of an Idea
Day 2: In a Cave
Day 3: The Pursuit
Day 4: Peanuts Gang Style
Day 5: A Beautiful Death
Day 6/7: Like a Moody Teenager
Day 8: Survival of the Fittest Gardening
Day 9: My Sunday Best
Day 10: Traditions
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