Talking Turkey and Other Traditions

When the children were very young, just to be silly and to mess with them a little (because it's in the contract) I told them that in order for the turkey to thaw properly for Thanksgiving, it needed to be talked to.  Like houseplants.  Seriously.  Every time they opened the refrigerator, or it wouldn't be ready for Thanksgiving.  And, of course, the earth would implode if they didn't get turkey for Thanksgiving.  (This year they started audibly pining for Thanksgiving on November 1st.  It's a new record.)

 

I was VERY persuasive. 

So, with the fate of their beloved turkey in question, they quickly learned to greet the turkey and thank it for its sacrifice...every time they opened the refrigerator.  I set the example; and soon, the house echoed with chirpy little voices saluting the turkey at the open refrigerator door. 

It NEVER got old.  :)

 

Last Tuesday, because they stared pining so early, I quietly bought our Thanksgiving turkey and put it in the freezer (it's too early to thaw).  Wednesday, when Daughter #1 and then later when Daughter #3 opened the freezer, a quietly cheerful "Hi, Turkey!" drifted across the room when they saw the package on the shelf.  And, I smiled quietly to myself. 
 

I've not been very successful establishing big family traditions.  You won't find us reenacting the nativity story on Christmas Eve, or sending each child to the university I attended, or picnicking on Independence Day.  But the little, often silly things established on accident have still managed to define us and tie our family together meaningfully. Some of those traditions are third generation.

 

For example:  As a child, when I watched science fiction programs and the captain said "Fire at will!" (which captains seem to do a lot), my mother would often quip back "Poor Will." and chuckle to herself.  It's a very old pun, I know, but we liked it.  So, of course, when I watch scifi now and the captain gives the order to fire at will, "poor Will" always floats though my head in response.  When my children were old enough to get the pun, I started saying it aloud.  Now they say it aloud and grin at me, so pleased to be in on the joke.

It's a little strange, some of the things I'm proud of them for.