E.B. White's "Once More to the Lake"

There's one item that I've always missed from childhood - traditions.  Many families I know base most of their family gatherings and holiday celebrations on tradition.  From the Christmas fruitcake to singing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Day there are numerous ways to celebrate and remember just as E.B. White's characters did in "Once More to the Lake".  As I've gotten older I realized my family was more than a little lacking in traditions.  I'm not sure if this was due to the fact that we lived so far away from our extended family and thus we never got into the habit of participating in them, or if my mom and dad thought they were pointless.  I remember my mom reading the Christmas story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus a couple years ago right before we were going to begin opening our presents.  She mentioned how this was becoming a tradition.  I thought to myself, "It must still be in the beginning stages, because this is the first time we've done it this way."  But a tradition has to start somewhere.  The same goes for the little son just learning how to fly fish.  It may not have been a tradition for him before that summer, but you can be assured that he will continue to go now that he has learned this important skill from his father.

Sometimes remembering and going back to your past hurts.  The father realized he was getting no younger and in a way was living vicariously through his son.  Still, I believe that this is almost the best way to bond and fondly remember the "good old days" while living in the present, bringing you closer to your family.