Family Traditions

Family traditions are wonderful and fun, but it is not always possible to maintain the rituals. For us the challenges include coordinating schedules with Pete in college, Molly living in New York city, professional schedules, etc.

Pete and I started a tradition about 15 years ago of going away for a golf weekend. Molly was going to sleep away camp for two weeks, and Pete was younger and not interested in overnight camp at that point.  I enjoy chasing a golf ball through the woods and occasionally onto a fairway, while Pete from an early age was always happiest outside playing some sport or game. So, I thought it would be a good time for some father-son bonding.

For Pete as an eight-year-old, more than half the fun was driving the golf cart.  He had played very little golf, and I was his instructor, so it was a little unrealistic to expect much success.  Pete would get a little discouraged when he would see me hit a good drive on a hole (not nearly as often as I would have liked) and he would then dribble a shot down the fairway.  Along with an occasional golf tip, the opportunity would sometimes come up for me to judiciously pass along a few life lessons such as the importance of bouncing back from adversity, good sportsmanship; etc.  But Pete is a good athlete and every couple of holes he would hit a good shot or sink a long putt.  His enthusiasm and grin got us both hooked and this became an annual tradition for about ten years.

Summer jobs, high school friends and now college have disrupted this annual ritual, but this summer we managed to get away for a few days.  Driving the golf cart does not hold the appeal it once did; but any golf shots dribbling down the fairway now are most likely from me.  The lesson he needs to learn now is to let his dad win a hole or two every once in a while.  His grin is just as contagious and somehow, we need to keep this tradition alive and well; because this is just as much fun as it was 15 years ago.