• Young family watching television.
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    The importance of traditions

    Childhood memories What do you remember most from your childhood? It’s likely you remember big events and any trauma you might have experienced. Those types of things tend to leave an impression. Another way memories stick with us is through repetition, often in the form of family traditions if we’re fortunate. Holiday traditions Traditions I remember most from being a kid were centered around holidays. Getting to open one present on Christmas Eve. Waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day, only to be told to go back to bed for an hour while the house warmed up. Raking leaves the day after Thanksgiving (weather permitting). Waking up…

  • General Thoughts

    Television Nostalgia and Other Things

    Recently, a major television star from when I was a child had a stroke. Last Monday he died from the complications. Luke Perry, who played Dylan on Beverly Hills, 90210, was only 52 years old. Back when I watched him on TV, I would have thought 52 was ancient. Now that I’m older, it seems so young. The show originally aired in 1990 when I was nine years old. I started watching it when it aired new episodes during the summer of 1991 at age 10 and caught up on the first season through reruns that aired on a different night if I’m remembering correctly. My son is 10 now,…

  • General Thoughts

    Our First Official Family Vacation

    In the 10 years since Jonathan and I became parents, we’ve never taken a real family vacation. By vacation, I mean to drive away from our home to another location, see an attraction or two, and sleep there at least one night before driving home. And hopefully, something that in no way resembles National Lampoon’s Vacation. At the end of last year, we talked about an eventual road trip to either Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, or (ambitiously) both. Knowing how far those destinations are from our home, and knowing our children, I suggested that we start smaller, considering that the kids have trouble getting along for the two-minute car ride…