“Perhaps we should begin a new tradition together. A tradition of giving thanks every day for all that we have.” — Arbe
There is a particular feeling that comes over Alta in November.
The days grow shorter, the nights grow longer, and the first whispers of winter settle over the land. Inside our homes, however, something quite different begins to happen.
The hearths are tended a little more carefully. The tables are drawn a little closer. And conversations begin with those familiar words: "Do you remember when...?"
I have always loved those words.
They are the beginning of stories, of laughter, and sometimes of tears. They remind us of the nisser who came before us, the lessons they taught, and the little things they did that we still do today.
We call these things traditions.
Some were passed down from our bestemor and bestefar, our grandmother and grandfather. Others came from our mamma and pappa. And some are traditions we have begun ourselves, perhaps without even realizing it.
I remember when I was a young nisse, as the November nights grew longer, we would gather around the fire. There were stories to be told and songs to be sung. Sometimes I had heard the same story a dozen times before, but that never seemed to matter. I wanted to hear it again.
And again.
I knew exactly when bestefar would pause for dramatic effect, and I knew when mamma would begin laughing before she had even reached the funny part. Yet those familiar moments were the ones I looked forward to most.
When we gathered around the table for a meal, it was never just about the food. It was about being together. Sharing the happenings of the day, listening to one another, and finding comfort in the familiar faces gathered around us.
As I have grown older, I have come to understand something else about these gatherings. They give us an opportunity to remember how much we have to be thankful for.
Some people may think there is only one special day each year when we should stop and give thanks for everything we have.
But I have often wondered, why wait for that one day?
After all, isn't every day special in its own way? And aren't the people and things we hold dear special enough to deserve our gratitude every day?
A warm place beside the fire. A meal shared with someone we love. The sound of laughter filling a room. A friend who remembers us, or a helping hand when we need one.
These may seem like little things, but I have learned that little things are often the greatest treasures.
Traditions may change as the years pass. New faces join our tables, and sometimes we dearly miss the faces that are no longer there. But the love we shared with them does not disappear. It lives on in the stories we tell, the songs we sing, and the kindness we pass along to others.
And perhaps, many years from now, someone will remember a tradition that you began today.
So, perhaps we should begin a new tradition together.
A tradition of giving thanks every day for all that we have.
Not just on one special day, but on all the ordinary days that make a life extraordinary.
For what is a tradition, really, but a memory we have chosen to keep alive?
With warmth from the hearth,
— Arbe💜