Midlife traditions, Father-Son Traditions. Traditions are simply one more way to be mindful of all we have to be thankful for. Here’s the second of seven Father Son traditions, from November 18.
“One, two, three.”
Through the years, I’ve met people who do things that capture my attention. Little things usually. Seemingly insignificant actually. Some are not good and others are brilliant.
This one is from Leslie (her real name). She and her daughter had a tradition that was easy to do and could be creativity extended beyond their particular use.
Leslie would gently, and randomly, squeeze her daughter’s hand – first one time, pause, then twice, pause, then finally three times. This meant, “I – Love – You.”
After initiating this when our son was about two years old, I started to experiment with other ways:
- Blink once, pause, blink twice, pause, blink three times
- With a hand resting on his knee, squeezing it the same as his hand
- Hugging, the same process
- Using fingers – hold up one finger, then two, then three
- Writing a note, “1 – 2 – 3”
The beauty of these is in their simplicity and repeatability. That’s the secret to a lasting midlife tradition.
