Around the holidays, people tend to talk about the importance of traditions. Traditions bring families together and create a sense of stability and comfort. But the best traditions are the little ones that we drop into everyday life.
In our home, every Friday night is night is Sleepover Night. We pull our blankets off of our beds and throw them on the floor. We stay up a little later. We laugh a little longer. And we talk. We look forward to it every week because it is the kickoff to our weekend.
We both have so much fun on Sleepover Night because we are having our own party every week. When the blankets come off the bed, it’s time to put our work behind us and spend time as a family for the next two days.
But Sleepover Night goes much deeper than that, because the most important thing that we do is talk.
We laugh. We tell stories. We share ideas. And sometimes you tell your deepest feelings.
With our feet tangled together and the moonlight shining on your face, your heart cracks open. Sometimes we find solutions and sometimes we cry. Other times we learn that some things just don’t make sense.
As you grow older, I hope that we can continue to find space to maintain this tradition. As you become bigger, so will your problems. The conversations may become harder, but your emotions are always safe amidst the pillows and blankets on our floor.
Yes, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, but one of my very favorite traditions happens with the moon on my face and my dog at my feet…and it waits for me every Friday night.
Image: rachel CALAMUSA