After a divorce is a great time to start new traditions for yourself, or with your children, if you have kids. Trying to keep all of your previous holiday traditions will likely trigger memories of the past. Reflecting on the past may be difficult and make you sad. There may be traditions that you absolutely want to keep and others you prefer to leave behind. Only you know what traditions you will be comfortable continuing. If some tradition is simply too hard to do this year, then skip it and reconsider it next year.
If you do not have children, or if your children are adults, can you think of anything you have always wanted to do during the holiday season? Have you seen or heard of a new opportunity that recently caught your attention? Why not step out and try something new, whether it is volunteering with a holiday project (great way to meet people and help others), going to a holiday concert, taking a trip, or decorating your home differently. If you don’t feel like decorating your home this year, then don’t decorate.
If you have children, spend some quality time with them over the holidays. Give them your attention by doing something you both enjoy. Again, start a new tradition, try something new. The holiday season is full of concerts, plays, and Christmas programs. Volunteers are always in short supply. Why not volunteer to help serve a meal to the homeless at a shelter. Help distribute gifts to the needy through a charity. Volunteer opportunities can be a great learning experience for your children.
Every year my kids and I put together shoe boxes for Samaritan’s Purse. My children look forward to shopping and gathering stuff to fill the shoe boxes. All through the year we put things aside for the shoe boxes. We also like to buy gifts for underprivileged people in our area, through programs at school or our church. Another tradition we enjoy is baking Christmas cookies and treats and delivering them to friends, teachers, and neighbors. This is a tradition originally started by my grandmother.
Ask a friend, or your children what they might like to do for a new experience. No harm done in trying.
I recently wrote an ezine article “Divorce- A Time for New Traditions.” Click on the title if you would like to read more about creating new traditions after divorce.
I had to include a larger picture to do it some justice. I grew up in Kansas City. One of my favorite traditions when I lived there was going to see the Plaza Lights. The picture above is only one corner of the Plaza. The buildings in the entire area are outlined in lights. It is a spectacular sight.
Copyright 2008 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved
