The Traditions We Carry Forward

 


Do you have a tradition that you’ve kept alive in your family?

I’ve been thinking about the candles we placed in the windows of my family home and how that tradition inspired The Light in Grandmom’s Window. But today, my daughter Caitlin reminded me of another family tradition that I adore.

When Caitlin and Christian were little, I rocked them and sang to them before bedtime. Some were lullabies I made up. Others were songs I loved. One song I sang to Caitlin night after night was Jimmy Buffett’s “When the Coast Is Clear.”

I still have the rocker. When I look at it, I can picture those special evenings with each of my children in my arms.

Today I came across a video of Jimmy singing that song at a concert in Alabama in 2013. I sent the clip to Caitlin, remembering the nights I sang it to her. She wrote back that she had sung it to her daughter when she was a baby, and now they sing it together.

I knew Caitlin had carried on the tradition, but her message brought those evenings back to me. The rocker is still here, and the song has found its way into another generation’s bedtime.

What tradition has your family carried forward?

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