New Traditions

[Prepare yourself for somewhat scattered babble...]

Oxymoron?

I thought so until this year. In fact, new traditions are beautiful things.

Not only do people change, but communities change. And, if traditions are founded on beautiful memories, then it's important to make new beautiful memories that the community can share as a whole rather than only celebrating the memories of a fragment of the people have.

New traditions for this year:

PAPPLES

Derived from "pumpkin apples." One takes an apple, and carves it into whatever shape desired. The illustrious judge then awards each based on what it achieves that the other papples do not.

APPLE SCOTCH

You have to be there. Sorry.

GINGERBREAD HOMES

Judged in the same fashion as the above papples.

  

Yes, some of our very own women mixed and baked the gingerbread. Due to limited resources, the decorations got quite creative. Corn chips for the shingled roof anyone? Limited resources is now one of my new favorite things.

And, while new traditions are being formed, those who still share the old traditions can enjoy them whole heartedly. However, they need to fade. One must remember that value is not derived from others remembering you. How often do we as a human race endeavor to find eternal life in other's memories rather than in the LORD? Or even as well as the LORD. We erect massive buildings in memorial, we trick out our grave stones, we force our infamy onto others in an effort to shock people into remembering.

We came across a box filled with memory bits from last year as we were going through the quiet commons, cleaning it up for next semester. It was hiding under the pile of records, between the old books and the dress-up box. Heartily enjoying the memories. They are not sour.

However, they stay in my room so new traditions can be made and shared for the next four years. Beautiful? I think so.