Genealogy Blog Family History

The Power of Family TraditionsPosted by Administrator on September 21st, 2009

When I was a kid, every time my mom’s side of the family got together, we ate a lot, played sports, made each other cry in board games, sang, told stories, and laughed into the late hours of the night. With my dad’s side of the family, we would play cards, tell stories, pass gas, and laugh into the late hours of the night.

On Thanksgiving, we would play a civil game of flag football with our church and then, nursing our wounds, stuff ourselves silly with turkey and ham. Christmas Eve was almost always spent at one very large house, retelling the Christmas story and stuffing ourselves silly with ham and cake. On New Years Eve, we would line up on the street to watch the Rose Parade floats make their way to Pasadena- we got to see them before anyone else. Later, we would stay up until midnight for the big countdown. Then we would break into the Martinellis sparkling cider, and the family would kneel together in prayer for the new year. Then we would all head home trying to avoid the bullets falling from the sky in our LA neighborhood.

Interestingly enough, most of the experiences I remember today from my childhood and family revolve around these traditions. There was some magic in those experiences that cemented my notions of faith, family, happiness, and fun.

I know there are those for whom ‘tradition’ is a bad word, a relic. While I agree there are some traditions that are better cast off, I know there are some traditions we should never do away with. Traditions define our families. If done right, they bind us together. Sometimes, they are silly or inconvenient. But not all that is old is outdated. They serve a very essential function in families. In fact, it’s hard to define your family without the existence of traditions.

With the holiday season almost upon us, how will you observe or create family-building traditions? Maybe your tradition is waking up early on Black Friday to shop until you can’t see straight. Maybe it’s playing in the snow and coming in for a round of hot cocoa. Maybe it’s going to church. Even just watching the yearly Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special together is a tradition of sorts. Whatever you choose, these traditions will forge relationships between you and your family members that will not be easily forgotten.

Although it’s always best to start early with traditions if you’re a parent, traditions can start at anytime and often in the most unexpected ways. Maybe your family isn’t the together type. There’s always a first time, and you never know when something good might stick. So give traditions a try this year and watch what happens with you and your family.

To GPS or Not To GPS?Posted by Administrator on September 15th, 2009

I got a new phone today at the Sprint store, an awesome piece of work called the Palm Pre. While getting me set up, the guy at the counter asked me if I wanted to keep the GPS locator on my phone. For the unfamiliar, this feature lets you locate your cell phone or the cell phone of anyone else under your plan using GPS. I used it last winter to find my cell phone after some kid found it at the local park and decided to take it for a walk. With my wife on Skype and on Sprint’s GPS website and me on my wife’s cell phone- a real Mission: Impossible setup-, we were able to find the phone discarded in some bushes a few blocks away.

Anyway, this offer from the guy at the Sprint store kicked off a conversation about the ethics of using the GPS locator feature to keep tabs on teenagers or other family members. I know some parents who would shudder at the thought of setting foot in their teenager’s room much less using a network of satellites to track their every move, all out of some inexplicable reverence for human privacy. I’ll tell you flat-out I have very little respect for these parents.

In my view, I have a few very well-defined responsibilities as a father. One of those is to provide for my children. Another is to protect my children. Third, I have the responsibility to teach them to make the world a better place and to make themselves better. I don’t see anything in these responsibilities about bowing down before the god of privacy. Nope, if I’m paying, I get full access. I may choose not to exercise that full right out of discretion or sensitivity, but I do reserve that right as a parent.

So you may guess where I fell in the discussion. I am all for tracking my kids’ movements if I suspect foul play. In the meantime, I do my best to make sure I won’t have to suspect foul play. I was happy to know my wife agreed.

Where would you fall on this issue? Would you GPS them or would you resist?