In front of Jonathan Borofsky's "Hammering Man"Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, TX
Before I got married, I imagined holidays would be about continuing family traditions. However, the most important thing I have learned over the past four years is that all families are unique and rather than try to recreate my own childhood, maybe it's time to let traditions come alive in new forms, perhaps creating some new ones. After all, our family was formed in a "non-traditional" way, so why should we stick to convention?
Thanksgiving is one of those times what creating tradition becomes especially important. Since we don't have any family in the area, we usually wait until the last minute to make plans, usually in the form of getting ourselves invited to someone's house or hosting an impromptu Thanksgiving feast for other Thanksgiving "orphans." Even though I don't very much care for this holiday, Thanksgiving is one of those times of the year where we can mark milestones and think about how much we have changed and grown during the past year. This realization, along with my weakness for craft foam, inspired me to make the cheesy, yet cute, Family Turkey:
Yes, I know it doesn't look like much now. But the plan is to add the kid's hands every year to mark how much they have grown. And since Veronica can write her own name now, it's especially meaningful to have her write it on her hand this year.
I wish you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey, football, and any other traditions that you have. And if you're so inclined, start another one.
