As the police sirens passed loudly and I covered the
ears of my infant, I couldn’t help but to think of how blessed I was.
This 4th of July holiday was simply amazing. Watching my 2 year old
reach out for hugs from all the animation characters, while my 6 and 9
year old charged the side of the street for candy simply melted my
heart. Knowing that even my 14 and 16 year old step children were
secretly enjoying each moment of this parade made my heart smile.
Getting to chat with an old friend then sitting down with my 71 year old
dad until the 2 hour parade came to an end was a blessing in itself. It
really made me realize how it’s not about the big things, it’s about the simple things. These are the things that our children will carry with them.
Going
to this parade is something I have done since I was about 5 years old.
I’d walk up the hill from my apartment with my dad and wave at friends
along the way. We would always find a nice shady spot on the sidewalk,
that didn’t have a lot of other people around, to stand in. I’d
wait there with my grocery bag in hand and charge the streets for every
piece of candy I could get until my dad would say “Hold on, don’t go to
far in the streets now,” then I’d move back toward the sidewalk gazing
at the candy that I couldn't get. I have so many fond memories about
this parade and each time I attend, a new memory is created. This parade
has become a family tradition for my dad and I and it’s a tradition so
important to me that I desire to pass it on to my children.
This year was so special to me because all my children in the home were in attendance and they all WANTED to
attend. As a matter of fact, they all mentioned it to me as a reminder.
It only proved to methat blended families, just like any other family,
need to have their own family traditions. Something as simple as having
an annual holiday celebration with just your blended family helps to create bonds that can’t be broken.
Now,
this does not mean that your time together has to take up the entire
day, it could be just a few hours. For example, after the parade we
dropped my step children off to their grandmothers, but we had already
had our family time first and that’s what was most important. It is
truly the simple things, having dinner at the table, celebrating
birthdays together and creating family traditions. These are the things
that will make your blended family thrive.
What are some things that you do that have become a tradition in your Blended family?
Originally posted by Rachel on Better than Blended
Originally posted by Rachel on Better than Blended
