Week 102

Positive post Sunday, January 27, 2019- Week 102. 

Many families have special traditions and heirlooms, some recently created and others that have been passed down from generations before us.  You know, getting together for the holidays, favorite places to vacation, furniture, jewelry and photos.  Well, our family has several traditions and heirlooms, many of which have sentimental value or that remind us of very important times in our lives.  A few examples include vacationing at Campland on Mission Bay in San Diego (my side of the family) and on Balboa Island in Newport Beach (Michele’s side of the family).  We have passed this tradition on to our children who also like to go there to vacation or just visit.  We also have rich traditions of family gatherings during the holidays as well as a few keepsakes like my mom’s cut-glass, Michele’s grandmother’s porcelain flower dish and one of my prized possessions, my great great grandfather’s shotgun.  And we certainly can’t forget Michele’s mom’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I couldn’t begin to count how many cookies she has baked for family and friends or how many I have eaten over the years.

With all that said, for this positive post, I choose to focus on one of the traditions my parents handed down to me that I feel is the greatest gift a parent can give their children, attending Sunday Mass as a family each week.  I will forever be grateful for being raised in a home of faith and spirituality which continues to be the foundation on which I live my life.  Michele and I continued this tradition with our children.  We attended Mass each week as a family.  I have many fond memories of sitting in the front row at Sacred Heart Church (now Holy Name of Jesus) where we met many of our dearest friends and their families.

Our kids have now grown up and have families of their own.  And, although we have not been able to physically continue our tradition of attending Mass with all our children and grandchildren, I bring them all with me to Mass every week through my thoughts and in my prayers.  I pray for their health, safety and happiness, but most of all I pray that they let their faith guide their lives, continue to grow spiritually and pass on this tradition to their families.  Michele and I have been blessed to raise 3 of our grandchildren in our Catholic faith.  I’m enjoying seeing them grow both personally and spiritually as they continue to strengthen their faith.  I have especially enjoyed our new tradition of serving at Mass together, Michele and I as Eucharistic Ministers and the kids as Alter Servers.

I am comforted knowing that we have given our children and 3 of our grandchildren the same gift my parents gave me, a foundation of faith and spirituality.  

What are the traditions and heirlooms that are important to you and your family and how are they pleasing to God?