The tradition is lost.

Traditions have changed in my family. I’m sure in everyone’s families. But today I am specifically talking about mine and what has changed for us. When we were younger, I remember having HUGE family get togethers. Sometimes our house, but usually at grandma’s. At least for my dad’s side. I remember my mom and Nina and Tia’s all hustling around the house cleaning and cooking. I remember my mom used to cut up a huge black trash bag and tape it to our kitchen table and Cat and I would have to sit there and spread masa all over tamale leaves. Are they called leaves? Anyway, you know what I mean. I remember my dad driving to the liquor store to pick up bottles and bottles of booze and beer. And boxes of those chocolates with alcohol in them. We used to be rebellious and steal them and think we were drunk! We had a party house for sure! Our families would come over and everyone was so dressed up. Us girls with big ass moños on our heads. The men and young boys in their suits! Usually all the siblings matched in some way. With our ruffle chonies that my mom would buy us. Cat and I hated dressing the same LOL! Our cousins all dressed the same too! I remember one New Year’s Eve party that our beloved angel Eddie was present for. Him and Steven had matching shirts and cowboy hats on! So funny! Why do parents do that?! I get it if the kids are twins but really, we were all 1-2-3 years apart! Glad I only have one kid! Anyway, everyone would come over and just get hammered! Music blazing, food being served. The men always ate first. Typical Mexicans! Kids were usually kicked out to a table the adults made for us and we all just did our own thing. This was usually the case for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. NYE was usually THE BEST! Especially when the Marcianos all busted out their guitars and sang the night away. But now that we are all older and have our own children, we do our thing. A lot of people have moved away from California or just the L.A. area and no one wants to drive anywhere. For 1 it is expensive and time consuming. I, of all people know this all too well. I am ALWAYS in California and Arizona. It takes a huge toll on my finances and time! So when the holiday’s roll around and I’ve already been to Cali/AZ about 4, 5x a year…I don’t want to go again! And I know it sucks cause I miss my family and my son misses his cousins but it’s just not that easy anymore. And then I look at what my family is doing out there and no one even gets together! It unfortunately takes something tragic for all of us to get together or MONTHS and I mean MONTHS of planning. And that is so sad! Our kids will never know what it’s like to be under one roof during a holiday and actually enjoy each other. I think my son and I have spent Christmas/Thanksgiving in Cali 2x? AZ 2x? I can’t even remember! This year is no different. I actually work until 5 pm. I won’t even be spending the day with my son. I’ll see him Christmas evening. Good thing is I’m off the next 2 days after that but still. We don’t have a tradition with him and it sucks. So I am super grateful for the upbringing that I did have. For the memories that still linger in my head. For the pictures that we got to take and look back on and smile. To see the faces of those that are no longer with us and be happy that we shared that with them. Maybe our kids will start their own traditions. But for our generation, something went wrong. And it wasn’t just me moving away. The efforts are just not made. I wish I can say things will change. Or I will make them change. I just don’t have that power over everyone. I do know that I miss it and I will forever cherish these pictures and memories in my head.