Taco Tuesdays and a bit of philosophical rambling... (or "Would you like some cilantro with that tradition?")

You know those events, days, things, meals...whatever we look forward to because we've done it many times before? I am a bit of a tradition junkie... and I struggle when the people around me decide they are sort of "done" with one of our traditions. Some people thrive on new experiences, and granted, I love those too, but there is something so wonderfully comforting in revisiting a "tradition"... I honestly believe they are incredibly good for us as well: anchors in our chaotic lives- strongholds in our weakened psyches- moments we can count on as "good", "happy" or even "fun"... otherwise why would we choose to visit them time and again?

Today I went shopping for "Taco Tuesday"... this is certainly not a tradition we made up, but about 5 years ago, before my eldest daughter could drive, we created our own version of it. It is simple: kids, tacos, soda, dessert, parental supervision, and whatever else comes up... sometimes it is a movie, sometimes a game of Apples to Apples... and sometimes a rousing competition at "Just Dance" on the wii. My kids invite whomever they wish... and we eat until the food is gone... talk until we are tired... and start looking forward to doing it again the next week. For us, this happens only in the summer, as during the school year, my teaching schedule tends to limit my desire to spend MORE time with a house full of teenagers... but we sneak a few in.

The silly tradition has taught me much... first of all: teenagers LIKE to be invited over to homes and fed (not exactly the light bulb of the century, but hold on...)- and they LIKE to be given options of hanging out with friends in a healthy environment. I have learned to listen better to them: Brian S. came to one of the Tuesdays years ago and said, "hey... where's the cilantro?" I could have ignored him and thought him rude for asking for what was not on the table, but instead, in a moment of lucidity, I asked him about it. His family always uses fresh cilantro on tacos... so the next week, I bought some, tried it, loved it, and it became part of our tradition. In fact, we, as a family now always have fresh cilantro on the table for tacos (and we eat a lot of tacos... maybe my Southern California upbringing, but I LOVE them!)

And so what? So... I think this is a metaphor for our lives... we try things we like again and again... we modify them based on bad experiences, feedback, others' ideas and our own experience. We make our traditions better... but don't we do the same with our lives and ourselves? We come back to what we like about ourselves again and again... we listen to the feedback/criticism of others, try it, digest it, and decide whether or not we will allow it to become part of us. In this way, we must make ourselves listen... listen to the world around us... listen to others... but most of all listen to our inner voice- we know what makes us better.