Always Statements at Christmas

Tradions are probably one of my favorite parts about Christmas. I love the "WE ALWAYS..." statements.We .....meaning us- meaning a tribe- meaning a family. How great is it to reflect back on the fact that we have a WE. I'm sorry that seems confusing typing it out. Dang it, here I go again making no sense. I have people. You have people. Your people are the ones that you make the WE ALWAYS statements with. For me my WE is my family, my small group at church, my friends that do life together. My people----who make up my we. You have people too----and you make traditions----and you do them at Christmas---and that is one of the reasons I love the holidays.

Growing up my favorite tradtions were that:

We ALWAYS had a real tree.
We ALWAYS had the messy staticy magical tinsel
We ALWAYS had cheese, sausage, and crackers after the Christmas Eve Service
We ALWAYS sang to the Carpenter's Christmas Portrait Album
We ALWAYS ate my grandmothers taco dip before opening presents


It is the ALWAYS statements that make the holidays so meaningful and also a little melancholy when remembering Christmas pasts.  This year someone else will make the taco dip. They no longer make the messy magical tinsel---someone probably suffereed from a major electric static shock from it and shut. that. company. down.

I'm sure you have always statements from your past that don't always happen anymore either. And while I'd be fibbing if I said that the fact that my old ALWAYS statements don't ALWAYS happen anymore doesn't make me sad---it's okay.

 It's okay because Scott and I are creating new ALWAYS statements with our own little family. I didn't understand the meaning behind the traditions my parents created for my brother and I when we were younger. But I understand that now. Creating traditions creates security and solidarity in a child's world. It's something that every child can benefit from. I know I did. You did as well. So while reminicing on old tradtions I see the importance of the new ones.

I want my children to be able to have ALWAYS statements.

We ALWAYS have a fake tree and light a pine candle because mommy hates the mess.
We ALWAYS bake cookies together and decorate them however we want.
We ALWAYS make a family ornament
We ALWAYS open one present Christmas Eve
We ALWAYS eat Strawberry Waffles Christmas Morning


But I also want them to know without a shadow of a doubt that our family

ALWAYS loves them no matter what

ALWAYS has fun

and ALWAYS laughs a lot.


Because the Christmas Chaos can easily get the best of me---but relying and remembering our ALWAYS statements help me make what matters---MATTER MORE to my family and my precious little chicken nugget children.


Merry Christmas friends! I hope you are enjoying you tradtions both old and new.