New Year’s Eve is not a huge celebration on our list of family traditions. Don’t get me wrong — we love the idea of making new resolutions, watching celebrations on TV, toasting with a glass of bubbly and even shooting off a firework or two.
A Time for Relaxation
Despite it all, the year’s close just isn’t an event for us because of how our birthdays fall on a calendar. Within the week prior to Christmas and the week following New Year’s, we celebrate five birthdays: one granddaughter, two daughters, one son-in-law and my husband. With so many birthdays in a small window, we make an extra effort to gather and no one has complained, at least not to grandma. After all, they get more presents, so why would they complain?
In addition to the birthday parties, we also host Christmas Eve plus 30 people on Christmas Day. Needless to say, I view New Year’s Eve as a time for a quiet evening to watch Australia celebrate their New Year, and then go to bed.
A Memorable New Year’s Celebration
Downplaying New Year’s celebrations doesn’t mean we don’t have memories. The most memorable New Year’s Eve was several years ago when we took all four grandkids to San Diego during the holiday break. Wading in the ocean, watching for whales on a boat and seeing the Holiday Bowl Parade were all highlights of our trip. For our New Year’s meal, each of the grandkids picked a dish they would make, which consisted of quinoa, toast, grilled chicken followed by dessert. We knew it wasn’t exactly a gourmet meal, but it filled our stomachs and each teenager was thrilled with their contribution.
Games filled the rest of the evening. However, my 1950s-60s language doesn’t always translate for the grandkids. “Respect,” “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” are tough to guess when you don’t know the song to begin with. I’ll be darned if I can’t think of any top hits for today. Sophomoric humor, however, does translate across the generations. Belching, sounds of passing gas and wet willies always and will continue to bring down the house.
When you’re with your grandkids for a week, there’s time for plenty of meaningful conversation. I know their parents are providing all the guidance they need, but grandparent reinforcement can’t hurt. Advice on loving and helping your neighbor, recognizing the good in everyone, stretching personal experiences to learn about those who are different from them are all values we try to promote.
A Resolution on New Year’s Resolutions
I have some thoughts about resolutions. Personally, I don’t make them, but always ask the grandkids what resolution they have decided on for the coming New Year. When they were little, resolutions were cute: help my mom out more, shovel the sidewalk, practice basketball, be nice to my brother, etc. As they grew, their resolutions evolved to: help my mom out more, shovel the sidewalk, practice basketball… just kidding. Their resolutions are now: be nicer to the person in my science class who doesn’t seem to have many friends, get straight A’s, volunteer at the Malone Center Food Pantry this summer with Grandma. Don’t get me wrong, they still have silly resolutions too, but they are maturing… the kids and their resolutions.
You could make the argument that New Year’s resolutions are just something to put together at the beginning of a new year. Perhaps the simple act of thinking about improving yourself or the world is a positive start. Sounds like I just made my 2016 resolution.
Nancy Becker
Grandkids & Grandparents
I have four grandchildren ages 14-17. In some ways, I’m a very typical grandma, always proud of everything the kids do and wanting to help support them in whatever way I can. In other ways, I’m not very typical. My goal as a blogger is to share my thoughts and experiences that I think are funny and meaningful as I adventure through grandmahood.
