I have been exceptionally quiet on my blog lately. Part of the reason is because I don't view my blog as a journal of daily events. I try to write when something new is happening, or when something has provoked a Point of View. When I am quiet, it is probably a sign that either I am very contented, or perhaps bored. Most likely, nothing of great interest is going on. But sometimes it is actually because I'm very busy. In this case, that's closer to the truth. Lately, I've been having a lot of fun, but it has also had the effect of cutting into my blogging time.
Our church has a wonderful program for Seniors called OASIS. OASIS stands for Outstanding Adults Sharing In Service. For 8 weeks in the fall, winter and spring they provide a multitude of classes available for anyone over 50 for just $25.00. It has been going on for at least 17 years, maybe more.
Oasis is different from the traditional "over 55 social group" churches offer. It is open to anyone over 50 regardless of what town they live in or what church they might attend. There are classes in everything from chair caning, to writing, calligraphy to a music jam for musicians with an instrument, all led by instructors who volunteer their time. It changes from session to session.
Last session I took Yoga, but this time I stepped it up. I participate in two line dancing groups in the morning and then sit for two hours in the afternoon sharing stories with a writing group. That has interfered with my blogging. What I write about there doesn't really fit what I blog about, but it takes my writing focus. However, I really enjoy it, so perhaps, you lose, while I win.
OASIS isn't for all communities, but it is a great model for those people looking for a way to reach out to their senior citizens. My community has a high artisan population. We are rich with people who will share their skills with people like me who have little or only average talent. However, just imagine the ways you could reach your own community, with photography, computer, language, or business skills on both a beginner and advanced levels. It is affordable and provides a multitude of ways to keep 'retired, old brains' active.
Meanwhile, this old brain is learning new dance steps and sharpening her pencil. And I'm having a ball with it!
Showing posts with label Empty Nest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Empty Nest. Show all posts
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Traditions
Growing up my family enjoyed the holidays, both summer and winter. Breakfast picnics, Thanksgiving gatherings, Christmas parties, the candlelight service on Christmas eve, as well as the sunrise service on Easter are all just a few of the things we grew up doing. My brother-in-law had a word for it. Tradition! "Tradition!" he would declare when we would be planning a picnic or talking about a family sing.
After Larry and I married, we started to create our own traditions. Our own family was raised with a set of family traditions. Because we lived in Florida, far from any other family, our Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions were centered around just the four of us. As the girls grew up and left for school, or marriage, they still came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and those traditions continued.
The year we moved to Pittsburgh was the year we upset the apple cart. It wasn't just us. Janice married and moved away. We moved here. Jen remained in Florida. But suddenly we had to re-invent our holiday traditions. The girls discovered their in-laws handled Thanksgiving differently than we did. From stuffing to pies, the food on the table, as well as the rituals involved had some subtle and some not so subtle differences.
Ben Franklin once said, "In this world, the only thing certain is death and taxes". About a year before we moved I felt pretty certain that our family would move into the next phase of our lives and live within a few hours of each other, in Florida. The next year was like watching dominoes fall in slow motion. When the last domino fell we were all separated by 900 miles.
I think one of the hardest parts for everyone was discovering how to celebrate holidays we had spent together for the previous 30 years. It may have been difficult, but ultimately, I think it is one of the biggest parts of creating and raising a family. As an empty nester, this year Larry and I are faced with re-creating a Christmas morning without kids. When we got married, it was exciting to have that morning together, before we met with the rest of his family. The traditions we developed were a combination of some of his favorite memories and some of mine. But 40 years later it seems daunting.
Even so, I look forward to finding out what we will do. Traditions add stability, expectation and excitement to family events. But they are not stable. They will change and that is a good thing. It means life is evolving and we are open to new things. Traditions aside, that seems like a much more stable way of life than remaining static.
After Larry and I married, we started to create our own traditions. Our own family was raised with a set of family traditions. Because we lived in Florida, far from any other family, our Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions were centered around just the four of us. As the girls grew up and left for school, or marriage, they still came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and those traditions continued.
The year we moved to Pittsburgh was the year we upset the apple cart. It wasn't just us. Janice married and moved away. We moved here. Jen remained in Florida. But suddenly we had to re-invent our holiday traditions. The girls discovered their in-laws handled Thanksgiving differently than we did. From stuffing to pies, the food on the table, as well as the rituals involved had some subtle and some not so subtle differences.
Ben Franklin once said, "In this world, the only thing certain is death and taxes". About a year before we moved I felt pretty certain that our family would move into the next phase of our lives and live within a few hours of each other, in Florida. The next year was like watching dominoes fall in slow motion. When the last domino fell we were all separated by 900 miles.
I think one of the hardest parts for everyone was discovering how to celebrate holidays we had spent together for the previous 30 years. It may have been difficult, but ultimately, I think it is one of the biggest parts of creating and raising a family. As an empty nester, this year Larry and I are faced with re-creating a Christmas morning without kids. When we got married, it was exciting to have that morning together, before we met with the rest of his family. The traditions we developed were a combination of some of his favorite memories and some of mine. But 40 years later it seems daunting.
Even so, I look forward to finding out what we will do. Traditions add stability, expectation and excitement to family events. But they are not stable. They will change and that is a good thing. It means life is evolving and we are open to new things. Traditions aside, that seems like a much more stable way of life than remaining static.
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