Creating a Tradition

My daughter's birthday is coming up, which made me think of a new tradition I am going to use for all my kids. We're your typical family with three kids - school, work, soccer, birthday parties, play dates, travel, errands... it's exhausting, and as a parent, it is all too easy to go days and sometimes weeks without really feeling like you've had great 1:1 time with your son or daughter. So this year, I am using the week of my daughter Yve's birthday to take a little time out each day to do things only with her. To help me concentrate on this wonderful life I get to nurture and grow with each day, I created a fun little keepsake that I'm going to wear on her birthday. I took the photo to the right and made it into a photo bracelet - a simple leather strap with a .5"x.5" sterling silver photo bead. It reminds me of the day I held her in my arms for the first time in a dark hotel hall outside of Nanning, China. It brings a warm smile to Yve when she crawls on my lap and asks to wear it. It serves as a reminder throughout the week that she is one of the lights that shines meaning on my life. It creates Christmas-like anticipation for my two sons, asking when it will be their birthday week when I will wear them on my arm.

To all the Dads, and Moms, out there - try making your own tradition. It doesn't have to be a bracelet. Maybe you put a picture on the fridge for the week; make a card you put in your car; create a photo tag for your briefcase or purse... I guarantee it will make your week, and theirs!