We didn't maintain a lot of tradition when I was growing up. On the bumpy road of split families there are traditions started and stopped and redirected all along the way, so it's tough to look back and say "we always do (fill in wonderful memory here) on Thanksgiving"....you get my drift. Suffice it to say, I hold on to the little things. I believe that tradition and memories of childhood familiarities give you a sense of who you are - and where you are from. Your Origin. Where you started has as much to do with where you end up, as the journey does. Too much emphasis ? Can't it be argued that so many people with the worst start- absolutely destitute origin, went on to become legendary ? Well YES; and that is exactly my point. Would their story have been as provocative if their origin were not a critical factor ?
We can't call sparkling wine from Virginia "champagne". We can't refrain from explaining the birthplace of the great masters, when referring to their work. We usually inquire about someone's origin when we meet them for the first time...followed by "what are ya drinking?", if your from the South. Origin matters.
I didn't think origin mattered much to some of my friends and family, until I had a baby. Suddenly, everyone was happy to identify the origin of our little man's features - he apparently get's everything from everyone !
It's always mattered to me. And with fewer traditions to hold on to; I'm depending on the origin of the three of us, to inspire new tradition and rekindle some old ones, that I may just have forgotten about.
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