BY AMELIA THOMAS
dorothythomas@csdecatur.net
SENIORS SPEAK
along. As she approached my house, she skidded to a halt. “Oh, wow,” the woman gasped, out of breath. I blushed and gave a short laugh. “Wow,” she said again. “Yeah...I know,” I said. I turned to view my one-story house. Well, what you could actually see of the house. Dead branches cluttered the front steps, crowding the front door. Tick, white webbing stretched between them. Bats hung from a line across the yard, and a mini-graveyard littered with bones occupied one corner of the lawn. Skull-shaped lights lit up the headstones, some of which wishing a peaceful rest to “Mr. Hyde,” “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” But what outdid all of this resided on the roof: seven tire-sized, black spiders perched there, among one bigger, harrier one. It was a frightening sight. “Tat’s amazing,” the runner said. “You guys are really festive.” “Tat’s my mom for you,” I said, smiling. Te spectacle of Halloween decorations at my house has been growing my whole life, courtesy of my mother. She adds a new spider to the roof every year. But this is just the beginning of my household’s festivities. Halloween and Tanksgiving, in my family, signal that the December holidays are approaching. I can barely contain my excitement when we visit family in November, but we aren’t allowed to listen to holiday jingles until the drive home.
Writing a history I
Once December arrives, we convert our dining room into a winter wonderland with paper chains, snowflakes, fake icicles and bells. We watch
“Scrooge” with a fire burning, and we bake cookies for friends and family. Tese activities barely scrape the surface of my family’s traditions. Some traditions come from my dad’s side of the family, like reading the
holiday picture-books that my father scribbled on with crayon as a toddler. Others come from my mom’s line, particularly all the holiday dishes perfected over the generations. Some celebrations are new, like visiting the Stone Mountain village in December. Te mixture of traditions creates something completely ours. If I end up having kids of my own, I hope to continue the legacy and add new festivities to the mix. I don’t know what my childhood would have been like without these
traditions. Tey’re what characterize my family, what make us the Tomases.
As the holiday season approaches this year, it reminds me how important traditions are in family relationships and how grateful I am to my family for providing them and making my childhood exciting. It also makes me wonder what other families do together this time of year and whether they feel the same way. I know the closeness of my family exists, in part, because of these
celebrations and that other households could have this relationship as well. I also know I’m lucky to be part of my family, and I can’t expect others to be as fortunate. I can only hope that other house- holds can gain this sort of closeness in the same way. I’m not saying that carving pumpkins or hanging lights can fix every family quarrel, but
they give families something to remember together and add to their history. It’s not necessary to mimic a spider infestation on the roof or a snow
apocalypse in the dining room. Te simplest of traditions can be just as fun and memorable. What’s important is that we continue the traditions and leave our legacy for loved ones to enjoy in the future. n
46 Photo courtesy of Amelia Thomas CARPE DIEM • OCTOBER 2011
stood at my mailbox, sifting through the daily junk and bills. Te chilly fall air bit at my hands, and I clutched my sweater tighter around my chest. I noticed a woman running down the street, her black lab trotting
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