Christmas Cards

I got my first two cards the other day. They were from my sister Jean and my nephew Josh's family.

My sisters and I usually have a sort of friendly rivalry over getting those cards out every year. We all want to be first, we all  want to be heard and seen for the season before the busyness gets in the way. We all usually have our cards ready to mail out by or on Black Friday. We just don't always have stamp money on that date, depending on jobs and paydates and how badly the car broke down since the last payday and what it needs.

This year was different. Rita was in Florida and I am out of work and out of money. So Jeanie is the winner this year.
Congratulations to her.

This all made me think of how the holiday traditions keep changing.

When we were young, my dad's employer had a Christmas party every year. Rented out Taft Theater in Cincinnati, had cartoons and clowns and magic shows, balloons, cheddar cheese popcorn, and of course, Santa Claus and presents. This party was held on the third Saturday in December, so that that was when we had to get our tree by. We needed somewhere to put the presents once we got them home.

Then, the company changed hands, and the parties were no more. By that time the family had got so big, and we older kids were wise enough, that by the time Thanksgiving came around, we were running out of hiding places, so our tree went up some time on Black Friday. (Before it was called that; before that was the norm for the day)

When my girls came along, I kept up that tradition. One reason was that it was likely the only day off work that I could get it done. Another reason was Jeanie usually came and borrowed my children to help her get her tree up.

For many years, Rita hosted a family Christmas party -- usually on about that third Saturday in December. A  week  or so before that she'd have baking parties, where we all came and brought our children and decorated cookies. Job changes and working hours and distance made the baking parties more difficult, and as for the family party, the gift or dollar counters couldn't shut up and be happy. They had to tell everyone how much they'd spent and how they got something for this many people and only got this many or this much in return.
There's always someone, and the more total people, the more whiners. That's just a rule of life.
But it was really an ungrateful way to treat Rita. She wasn't responsible for what anyone else brought or bought. She just provided a place for the exchange to happen.
She eventually tired of it, and that tradition came to an end.

I don't know what traditions my girls will follow or for how long. I don't know how the traditions will change for me and Rex as our nest empties. It doesn't stay empty. Sometimes I think it never will. But when it does, it will create another change in traditions followed.

I'm looking forward to new traditions.

Can't tell yet what the girls will do.