What the hell does “nontraditional”
mean?
I wouldn’t know. I was raised very traditionally. I had one mom and one dad. I even had the requisite sibling to grow up with. My parents stayed married, and now I believe they are heading to their 37th anniversary. Growing up, we celebrated most American Christian holidays, such as New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, The 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We did not celebrate April Fool’s Day, and please do not ask us why.
I remember get-togethers
with my dad’s side of the family, and get-togethers with my mom’s side. While there were some differences, the common
theme was always food. In particular at
Thanksgiving and Christmas, I would expect to see a large spread of traditional
foods. Turkey, ham, stuffing, rolls, some veggie casserole, mashed potatoes,
gravy, and pies. As I became a teenager, my mom let me help her cook whatever she
needed if she was hosting the family holiday dinner. As an adult living on my own, I am expected
to bring either a side dish or a pie.
And I am a damn good cook,
so if you invite me to some gathering involving food, you don’t have to worry
because I will bring at least one food item.
That is just the way I was raised.
VERY traditionally, in every way you can imagine.
I was the oldest surviving
child, and I was a girl. My parents
tried to mold me into a well-rounded kid, but I don’t think the ballet lessons,
the Brownies, or the piano lessons really helped me at all. The best thing my mom ever did for me was take
me to the library. All I needed was
books.
But I digress. In elementary school, I made mostly A’s
because that is what my parents expected of me. In junior high, I joined the
school band, mostly under pressure from my mom because she already had a
clarinet. AND because they wanted me to have an extra-curricular activity. In 9th grade, I turned 16, got a
job at Dairy Queen, and got a 1993 Ford wagon.
Because that was very
traditional in my family. You know, turn 16, get a job in fast food, get a
car. I did everything my parents wanted
me to do. I didn’t even start dating
until I was almost 18, and I even did that in a traditional way. Hell, I ended up engaged to be married in all
four of the major relationships I had. Tradition. There were, of course, some
guys who gave me what I wanted and then left, so I don’t count them. Damn, what
I would do for the body I had back then . . .
Anyway, I am currently
married to husband #2 and we have 2 kids.
The man supports the family, while I do what I can with my part-time
job. I am the main caregiver, the one who feeds them, takes them to the doctor,
and gives meds and snuggles when they are sick.
So some parts of my life are very traditional.
But back to my point,
which is- WHAT the HELL is a nontraditional holiday family dinner
get-together? I’m confused. I baked a
cherry pie to bring, and I hope that’s not too traditional for these people.
