Our Informal Family Traditions

So my family really does not have traditions. In my country traditions are not as practised in the home as much as they are for the tourism sector, sad I know. However, as always I find the most joy in the little things.

We have had a series of drinking wine with my aunt in the late evening holidays. It's a moment I love. I love looking around at all the beautiful women in the room, all at different stages in their life, laughing and telling stories that dance in the air between us like joyful ghosts glad for their own memorial....

Sometimes I look down at our feet, toes,  different complexions and wrinkles and all and marvel at the many varying paths that have lead us to this one destination, this intersection on our separate roads that have allowed us to be together...and I am thankful.

It's also tough me quite a lot about wine. :). That Red Mascato by Shutter Home is my favourite so far but I have a veeeery limited schema to choose from, which I'm quite all right with, I don't drink to establish any kind of high so I wont be drinking any old thing just because. I want to saver and enjoy whatever goes into my body. I wont put it there if it starts changing my thought patterns or just plain tasting bad. There is a quote that says life is too short to spend eating bad food. Well I say life is too short to drink crap wine. That said, I love the taste of this red mascasto, a sweet, bitter, fiery taste all in one, yum!

 This sossy named bottle above is a creeper!

A more serious one that has kind of become tradition is watching the evening news together, all three of versions.

I'm trying to force the tradition of taking pictures with my mother and grandmother on mothers day as well. It's the only way I'll make sure to have the memories when I want to look back on them I feel.

Sometimes you gotta go get it.

I have established some traditions with my friends that I cherished though, like our yearly staycation. Who knows how long this will continue? It certainly has lasted long so far haha . Every year if we can help it we have it and usually there is a 'saying' of sorts that we repeat all that year. This year is was 'What did you see?' Which, I'm told as I did not see the episode, came from a an episode of The Simpson's and came when anyone expressed disbelief over a matter the other said or proposed. Twas hella funny.

A tradition i miss is spending time with my favourite aunt i haven't seen in a long time, sometimes I'd just sit next to her as she did the dishes or we both wouldn't be able to sleep so we would stay up and talk or just be quiet together. I remember instances of just going to the corner store together, don't ask me why such a small memory seems to stick out and mean so much to me, i guess because i don't see her often...It was such a simple thing 'I'm going to the corner store. Do you want to come with me?' she was so earnest in her request. We'd walk along the side walk of the city often in the glow of the golden hour, walking together just because, just she and I. bonding in slow deliberate time  with an intended destination but little else, conversation or silence I think we just appreciated having each other there in person as we are usually separated by oceans...

A tradition i miss is sitting between the knees of her and my mother, mother may have been trying or washing or combing out my hair, My aunt or cousin would have been plating it. The plating is a tradition I've had with old school gal pals too. A well established bonding ritual among the Caribbean born. It wasn't no brushing hair business, it was pulling and pain and the relief of untangled hair, who couldn't bond over that! haha The other day it was reversed and I did the plating for my mother, ah what a weird feeling! Not more sorrowful than proud...it reminds me how our roles are changing as we advance in age..

I haven't seen my favourite aunt in so long...I hope to travel and see her again soon...time is changing our bodies and telling our souls to be ready for an eternal pending change....I wonder f our little personal tradition is the still in tact....ah, I miss her. More reason for my bubbling wanderlust. Graduation come quickly...

Peace. Love. Treasure