Rituals change! Tonight was the first evening I’ve been completely on my own to carve the pumpkin. I was a tad teary at the kitchen sink…recalling the years and years with my three precious children…their excitement…the bit of a rush and panic between work/dinner and the door-to-door. Usually the costumes were prepared the night before…but finishing touches like make-up and hair had to be addressed and always there was the connecting with friends.
I called my Dad up…it’s what I could think to do. He used to carve the family pumpkin with us…always the same…and so I went about it, on my own, in the very same way.
When I open the family albums, the rituals of the seasons mark the various joyful experiences we have shared; the pumpkin carving was one of those.
At the end of my teaching week last week, I carved pumpkins with sixty students. My Grade Nine class has buddied with a class of Grade Twos again this year and our projects are aptly called Faith in Action projects. The Grade Two students were thrilled to have shared that experience with ‘big kids’ and were proud as can be about their pumpkins. Tonight my kitchen table is covered with individually wrapped roasted/salted pumpkin seeds…tomorrow I will give them to the kids, a reward for their efforts.
Tonight was a special night. I learned that I can do special rituals "on my own" and that warm memories stick. I am never really alone.
I\’ve carved a pumpkin on my own for 3 years now! I lie, Doug carved one last year or the year before. I\’ll email you a picture of this year\’s later, and of the pumpkin pie. I think I forgot to tell you I ended up doing at thanksgiving dinner the wednesday after thanksgiving, though we had bacon wrapped stuffed turkey breasts instead. Rituals on my own keep me connected to my family even when you\’re far away. Love you.