Traditions inspire, bond
families, generations
creating memories
a longing to return to

a time, place of some
significance or comfort
those moments that shape
us, our relationships

For all the ritual and
cookie-cutter nature to
family traditions they
never remain the same

traditions, families change
people added, subtracted
we all just grow older.

Thanksgiving used to mean
variations on classic foods
followed by family football

marrying in to a large clan
meant big games, all-in
intensity and bragging rights

going head-to-head with
nieces and nephews
first as kids, then as teens
then as adults – they grew
we also got older, slower

The younger generation got
married, started having kids
lost the ‘oomph’ for football
until their kids got a bit older
requiring less supervision
more involvement with
the rest of us

My own kids now grown
unmarried
Me? I have risen to the
pinnacle of family football
prowess – all-time QB
for both teams, replacing
football-retired, bad knee
brother-in-law

Changing of the guard
you might say
the more things change
the more they stay the same

change is also tradition
a holiday worth celebrating
in its own right

– Mark L. Lucker
© 2020
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