While raising my son as a single parent & looking for new & fresh things to do, I came up with a brand new tradition for us.  I think it began when Cam was about ten years old.  We called the tradition “First Snow Cookie Day.”

On the first snowfall of each year, we baked homemade, warm cookies together & we called them “First Snow Cookies.”  Each year I’d make conversation in the car or anywhere, “So what should we make for ‘First Snow Cookies’ this year?” We’d decide in advance what flavor cookie we wanted to make so the ingredients could be on hand for the “first snow.”  Doesn’t that sound peaceful & organized?  Did it always work like that?  No, I shopped for the ingredients that hectic day sometimes, lol.

I’ll confess, a few years I was disappointed he wanted a different flavor than I had in mind 😉. Somewhere I started a list of what cookie we made each year, (Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodles) but I don’t know where that is--probably on an old disk drive. We’ve sweet memories right in our hearts though.

We also had to establish what qualified as a “First Snow Day.”  Did a “First Snow Day” have to have at least 4” of snow?  Did it need to be good packing snow we could make a snowball out of?  Was it grounds for “First Snow cookies” if it snowed but melted right away?  Just what constituted a legitimate “First Snow Day” & fresh baked cookies we made together?  We flexed on that some years according to how we could make it work with our schedules.

The tradition changed too when he went off to college & upon graduation when God blessed him with his first corporate job one week later! I made the cookies on the “first snow” (or there abouts) & brought them to him & we enjoyed them together.

It can be important to be flexible with traditions.  It’s not worth the stress or agitation personally or in the relationship to have anxiety that it has to happen one way & only one way every year.  Just a few years back, Cameron was decorating Italian ricotta cookies with me on Christmas Eve.  He was so detailed! I have those photos 😊. You know I treasure those!

What about “Fifth Snow Cookies” if you haven’t been able to do First, Second or even “Third Snow Cookies?”
Keep a “First Snow Cookies” journal to track how your tradition –and the fun—evolves each year! How would you feel reading this in a few years: 

       “November 20th, 2024 Mom’s house
       Fifth Annual, Third Snow Cookies  (Sugar cookies with sprinkles)
      Cam won the coolest cookie contest! Mom slipped green sprinkles into Cam’s                milk. The dog stole a cookie off the cooling rack!

Take some pics, print em’ & pop them into the pages. Place some of the written recipes in between the pages!

You’ll get more than your baking’s worth! One cookie bite a day or two later will bring back the pure delight of your kitchen adventures. If you’re dieting, maybe you could pick some people to bring free cookies to!
 
Pick back up on a tradition at any time.  Restart, refine, restore, remember…reconnect.

What are some new traditions you can begin by yourself or with others? Both can bring fulfillment.

This tradition brought us fresh-baked joy.