Family Traditions

It wouldn’t have been Christmas morning if it were not for some particular actions initiated by my father. He was always the glue that held our family together in a way…and the force that drove us to work together, play together and get outside together, which solidified some pretty important holiday traditions.

Now, in general, my dad wasn’t much of a present buyer…until the year he “discovered” Black Friday. It was that year and many years after that he proceeded to wait in lines in the wee hours to buy the latest iPod or something like that, even though he proclaimed he wasn’t into technology.

At any rate, back to Christmas morning. At some point during our present unwrapping extravaganza, he would inevitably leap up with an extreme level of enthusiasm, run out of the living room out to the ski barn, returning with new skis and boots for various members of my family. At this point, there was some eye rolling from all of us kids and my mom may have been a little irritated.

Then, and this is the best part, he would announce that we all should get outside for a ski. I can’t remember a year we didn’t get out for a ski. I’m sure there were a few. For instance, some years snow is scarce so we walked on the trails those years. One year we sledded and fat biked on our small man-made hill, ridiculously and affectionately named Mount St. Anne, after the ski mountain in Quebec and for my mother. Guess who named the hill? 😉

Photo courtesy of my sister, Emily Delamater

This was our last Christmas all together. My father passed away in March. This year as I reflect on our family traditions, I intend to be the force that motivates us to get outside and continue this wonderful tradition. Above all family traditions are best when you celebrate time together, but in my opinion they’re even better when you get outside together!

I’m sure my dad would be ecstatic to know that I asked for a new pair of classic skis this year. I can’t wait to try them out…so hey, Dad, could you please send us some more snow for Christmas?

If not, I guess we’ll have to get the sleds out!