With every telling of a story or a family tradition, details can change. Sometimes those details are not all that significant. Sometimes they are and change the entire meaning or implication of the story. When someone tells you a family tradition, remember that the original incident could vary quite a bit from what you are told generations later. Record it as you are told it. Indicate who told you it and when.
But remember that any detail in the tradition may not be true.
Consider them clues.
4 Responses
Thank u, I almost forgot about doing that this year.
My mother, her sisters and brothers all had different versions of family tales. It was fun listening to them correcting each other about them!
And it’s always good to write down each version. The truth is buried there somewhere 😉
We always do a family Christmas party with my maternal grandmother’s siblings, all my mom’s cousins, & their children & grandchildren. I didn’t care nearly as much when I was younger, but now that two of my great-aunts are gone, I really wish I’d paid more attention to the stories & the “arguing” over who was right. 😉 My grandmother hasn’t come up for the party in several years because it’s too far for her to travel, more & more of the cousins’ kids are growing up & starting families of their own. So the party seems to get smaller, even as the ones who do come bring new family members with them. I need to be more intentional about listening to the conversations going around the room this year.