Most of us practice certain traditions. We gather around a cake topped with candles and sing “Happy Birthday.” We grill out burgers and brats on Memorial Day. We pop off some fireworks on the Fourth of July, we eat turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving, and whether our ancestors hailed from Ireland, Germany, or Japan, we can, if we wish, wear something green on Saint Paddy’s Day.
Within our families, we may share special traditions. Sometimes it is as uncomplicated as setting aside Saturday evenings for family movie time or whipping up the fixings for “Taco Tuesdays.” Sometimes we establish more elaborate ceremonies. Whenever each of his sons turned 16, one dad whose children I taught would gather other men and his son’s friends around a bonfire, and have each of the older men read a personal statement about what it meant to be an adult.
