I like to think of myself as a traditional person. I get very excited about the holidays because I look forward to things that happen from year to year. I enjoy the nostalgia of the holidays and sharing those times with family and friends.
That being said, I don't tend to do well with changes to the holiday routine; like take Thanksgiving for instance. Every year I volunteer to get up at 5am and help set up the start and finish lines at the Turkey Trot. I then go home and wake my brother (who always sleeps over) and we go and run the Turkey Trot. After the Trot we make our way out to my parents house in the suburbs for an enormous feast and more festive traditions.
Well...
Much to my dismay... NOT THIS YEAR!!!

Two weeks ago I broke my foot, so running the Trot is not looking too good and on top of that my mom has decided that after 25+ years she is no longer interested in doing the whole "Thankgiving thing" so now that traditions had been crushed as well. My Thanksgiving traditions are pretty much shot!

I am excited to report that I do have an ideal alternative and will still get to spend the holiday with wonderful people having a traditional Thanksgiving meal...
But I think that the real questions that is still lingering for me is this concept of traditions.

Why do I cling to them with such convictions and why do I wish to hold my family and friends in contempt when they break tradition or wish to alter them. And... while I am at it, what is with changing them? Why call it a tradition if we are going to change it or cancel it? I always thought that traditions were good things.

In the spirit of forced change, I am going to embrace the end to old traditions and maybe start some new ones? Or, maybe I will just have a Thanksgiving this year that is different than all in the past and nothing like any in the future.