Transitions
While I am a big fan of autumn and then the holidays, what I
really enjoy most is ‘tween times. I like evenings and early mornings when it’s
not quite light, not quite dark. I like the first few warm days of spring when
you can feel the Earth start to rev up for another season of life. I like that
first big cold push of autumn where you can actually feel summer break and know
it’s not coming back again now for a while. And I like the equinoxes themselves
when everything sits balanced for a day just teetering on going over the edge
into either warmth or cold.
I particularly like living in the Midwest
during these times.
Buddhism, as I practice it, has few rituals. My practice is
more about the day in day out of things and trying to attain a certain level of
mindfulness each day and approaching each decision with the litmus tests of the
eightfold path and the precepts. But there is that other side of me that likes
the ritual and craves the traditions that ground us to the Earth and her various
webs. For that reason I am trying to establish traditions for my children that
loosely follow the wheel of the year commonly used in Earth based religions.
I’ve consulted a number of books looking for kid friendly
projects and also look through my new best love…Pinterest. The one I found that
I like the most is a “found things” wreath or a blessing wreath.
I saw this in a book I bought a couple months ago titled “Celebrating
the Great Mother Earth” By Cait Johnson and Maura D. Shaw. The main concept is to make a wreath with
symbols of autumn you can find in nature close to home. I tried to get my kids
interested. First I invited them to join me in hunting for our things. I
thought for sure they would like this part since my kids pick up every leaf,
rock, berry, and piece of poop they find outside. But no dice. So, I collected
our items.
Among items collected were wildflowers, leaves, grasses and
clippings from our lavender.
Next I offered them to help me attach the items. Kids like
messy glue right. Apparently, not mine. So I did that part too. But when I was
done and brought it out for the family to see Bug exclaimed “oh cool Mom!” and
the Bear asks about it every time we come in or out of the house. I at least
got their attention. I’m guessing next year might be different.
It was also the first weekend cool enough to bake some
goodies. I made beer bread Friday night and cupcakes Sunday. Oddly, there was
no problem getting the family interested in those items.
Upcoming family traditions include our annual trip to the
pumpkin patch and participating in our small town downtown trick or treat
parade. It’s a fun downtown event where kids dress up and business hand out
candy. Pretty much all of the kids in town show up in costume so it looks like
a big circular parade around Main
Street. It has a festival feeling to it like the
last hoorah before we all retreat to our snug warm homes for winter.
I’m always hoping for reader comments so please share your
traditions.
On another note, same topic, a couple weeks ago a friend of
mine shared this on her Facebook. I read it. Cried. And promptly shared it on
mine so others could cry too.
About three nights after reading this I was coming out of
Bear’s room after another round of her exhausting bedtime routine and the Bug
called for me. He still likes a little bedtime cuddle and I admit I like it
too. We cuddle and talk about his day and preschool and stuff he wants to get.
The Bear is a mommy hog so I cherish this extra little mommy and Bug time.
While talking to him this article came back to mind. And I took some extra
mental pictures.
I took time to notice how soft his hair is after bath. How
crowded the bed is with favorite toys and books. I let him lead the
conversation so I could get an idea of what is on his mind these days. That
pretty much consisted of toys and staying home to play with toys and going to a
bouncy house. But that is good because like Mr. Rodgers said “play is really the
work of childhood”.
Anyway, I took the author’s advice. I took the extra mental
pictures and while I feel pretty secure about have lots of cuddle nights ahead
still, I know they will come to an end. In fact just this past week he has
started to refuse letting me walk him up to the preschool door because he “is a
big boy and he knows how to get there.”
I’m starting to transition to standing back and watching him
from farther away.
Go Bug Go. It’s not too far.
Ohh, I love the wreath.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second one I've seen by blog friends today! Tis the season. (I'm still too intimidated to try to make my own!)
My oldest son is 18 and living in his own apartment an hour and a half away. I am still realizing and acknowledging lasts. Thankfully, there are a lot of exciting and fun "first" rolling in for him to cover a lot of the ache of lasts. And thankfully, some of those lasts are a relief, too. (The last time having to pick up his dirty socks off of the living room floor!)
Bug & Bear are blessed to have you for a mama.
We follow our own seasonal traditions. I love seasonal changes (though California's changes are more subtle than elsewhere) so we revel in those changes. In December, the kids get a treat in a sock each day of the month. Not a true "Advent" but rather just our own celebration with it's own meaning.
My kids have outgrown (and not re-grown into?) dressing up for Halloween, but sometime in October we inevitably decorate gourds (not necessarily pumpkins) and bake tasty treats and drink hot cider together. It's not a particular day, but more of a mood that strikes us. (It's usually the first foggy/rainy day we get in October, but not always.)
Spring inevitably means going to the beach in the rain. I LOVE the push and pull of the weather in spring and while it can be chilly, it's still relatively mild. We play on the beach all day until we're soggy from rain and fog and/or the ocean, then we head back to the hotel to sit in the hot tub or curl up on beds and watch movies. Heavenly.
Summer, for us, is less tangible and less predictable. I am not a fan of summer. I don't tolerate heat well and I don't enjoy direct sun. That said, we still find ourselves camping and hiking and backpacking in the woods. Even if the best we manage is a once-a-month excursion into the woods to cook food over the fire and tell stories til late at night before trekking back home.
These are our celebrations. They work for us particularly well since they aren't heavily "date based" - since the huz often works holidays, anyway. Picking when and where and how we celebrate life has been very freeing. I hope you all find something that works for you!