NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILY TRADITIONS
By Michael Boytern

While visiting my parents a month ago, I was given a handsaw that belonged to my grandpa Boyter. He passed away about a year ago at the age of 81.

Grandpa was quite a craftsman and he loved carpentry and woodworking. I grew up just a few miles from where grandpa lived, so I was very close to him.

As my father gave me the saw he told me that this particular handsaw also belonged to my great grandfather Boyter. As if the saw wasn't worth the world to me already, knowing the history of ownership more than doubled it's worth in my eyes. I doubt I'll ever use this saw. I don't wish to ruin it in anyway, but it and it's history will remain in the family for generations. I'll see to it.

Family Sayings and Expressions

Think back for a moment. Do you remember words And expressions that your mother and father repeated on a regular basis? These are expressions that you yourself may use today. These are they that may make you feel like you are becoming your mother or father when you hear yourself use them.

Some of these expressions like "if it was a snake it would have bit you" are now cliche. I'm not referring to those. It's other lesser-known expressions and sayings that I speak of here. Ones that you heard all the time.

This is a form of family tradition in which you may have been immersed your whole life but never knew it.

You may have a few unique expressions of your own. Ever wonder how far they will perpetuate themselves through your children?

A family tradition is the thread that binds one generation to the next.

Family traditions are not only made manifest in family activities but also in family sayings and items that are passed down through the generations. Things that we may not think of regularly.

Many traditions have been lost to our families. Many current traditions that you hold dear are in danger of being forgotten unless families take an active part in preserving that which they wish their future generations to know.

We may want to think of this process of journal writing, life story preservation, scrap booking and others as "building" a family "museum". I'm not saying we need to build an actual museum. It is just a mindset.

What would the world know about American history now or in the future without the Smithsonian museum, Egyptian civilization without the Egyptian Museum in Cairo or French history without the Louver Museum in Paris.

Thousands of museums have been created to preserve the traditions, stories and tangible keepsakes from generations past.

Nations perish without strong tradition to bind them. Tradition is no less important in our families. Even the non-traditional kind!

~~~

As a mother you may also be interested in the Pc-Tattletale Parental Control Software. This software monitors everything your child does online!

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~~Michael R. Boyter is the creator of the popular MemoryGrabber e-book. Use it's captivating fill-in-the-blank format and self-interviewing style to begin putting your life story down on paper. http://www.memorygrabber.com

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