Happenstance

Some traditions are a result of intention. They are planned.  Some traditions are a result of a serendipitous event that is either meaningful or pleasurable enough that you wish to repeat the experience.

I’ve always enjoyed baking, cookies in particular. At some point I was begged encouraged to teach a couple of friends to bake cookies. It ended up being more fun than I’d anticipated. We had some laughs. In a matter of a couple of years it evolved into my annual holiday kick-off, “Cookie Central.” I’d decorate the Christmas tree and put up holiday decorations prior to the event. Every year more guests would be added to the list. We would decorate dozens and dozens of cookies, while eating hand-tossed pizza, salad, and hot chocolate or apple juice for the young’uns, wine or beer for the grownups. And with bellies full of cookies from sampling, everyone went home with a box or two of decorated cookies.

When I moved 120 miles away I was certain that “Cookie Central” was a goner. But, a couple of brave souls made it out here to carry on the tradition. They departed with talk of “next year.” I also packed cookies to bring to my grandchildren so we could continue to decorate cookies together at their new home 900 miles away. And thus, “cookie central” tenaciously lives on, a spontaneously-initiated tradition.

This Christmas our family gathered out-of-state. I’d told our hosts that I’d volunteered to be a substitute on the ladies bowling league in my new locale. I complained of being rusty from not having bowled in years. So late Christmas afternoon they found a bowling alley that was open and we all went bowling. It was fun and everyone could participate from the youngest to the oldest.

And who can predict? Is this the seed? Will it germinate? Is this the beginning of a new tradition?: Bowling on Christmas day. ;-)