For the past 8 years, a family friend would have a bonfire/hayride every fall. It was a time for families from church and the community to get together and join in some fall fun. For the first time, I will be the only one representing my age group. In the past it was my two friends and I. One of my friends is currently in Spain studying abroad while the other is in Iowa for a college cross country meet. It dawned on me today that this tradition is done. It will be rare if we are ever all at the bonfire again.
So, what does this mean for us? We are all still very good friends but I think this is the part of "growing up" that nobody enjoys. I'm starting to realize that what I did when I was a teenager probably won't happen as often. For example, it's almost impossible for me to stay up past 11 anymore. However in high school I could stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning no problem (I don't know how I functioned the next day).
This got me thinking that maybe some traditions are meant to be passed down from generation to generation. On my Moms side of the family it is tradition to pass down a cedar chest to your first granddaughter on her 18th birthday. Both my Mom and I have one and I look forward to the day when I get to present it to my granddaughter (I am in no hurry).
So tonight will be the night that I pass the "snipe hunting" tradition, the hiding in the graveyard tradition, and the getting lost in the corn tradition to the junior high students so they can enjoy 8 or 9 years of the tradition before they pass it down themselves.
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