In many families, there is a special piece of clothing that holds such
great sentimental value that it is lovingly passed on from one generation to the
next, especially among the women. It might be your mother’s wedding dress, your grandmother’s veil, a Christening gown or a First Communion Dress. We have many of those things in
our family but we also have something slightly unusual. We have begun a
tradition of passing down “the amazing 25 year anniversary traveling pants”
which were originally worn by my mother as she celebrated her 25th
anniversary with my dad in 1976.
It is probably the sheer fabulousness of these pants that makes them so
worthy of passing along. They are in a style that, while probably very common
in the early 1970’s, was certainly not common to my mom’s typical attire. A crazy quilt pattern of black, white and
silver geometric shapes interspersed with sequins and sparkles - for her 25th anniversary, my mom
was dressed like Cher.
I only saw her wear them that one time but she must have valued them
because she held on to them and many years later when my sister Sue was
celebrating her silver anniversary, the pants were resurrected. Sue had the idea (or perhaps it was a dare) to wear them to her party. She did and danced all
night long. Suddenly a new tradition was born.
Again, several years later, my other sister Deb received them from Sue
and wore them for her celebration. Now it would seem that it is my turn as the pants
quietly appeared in an unassuming package on my front step with a card from Deb passing them along. The assumption is
that I will wear them later this summer when John and I celebrate our 25th
anniversary.
I am taller than both of my sisters and quite a bit taller than my mom,
so when I tried on the magic pants, my first concern was the beauty of any
tradition that requires you to wear high water pants for such a momentous
occasion. By August, I must either shrink or, perhaps a less drastic
alternative, have the hem let out.
When I got married, I carried a tiny beaded purse that my mom carried
on her wedding day. It has been carried by many of the women in my family. When
Mollie was baptized, she wore a gown that had been worn by me as well as some
of my siblings and many of her cousins. And, on August 25, when I celebrate
this next life turning point, I will be wearing the black and silver sequined
pants that my mom wore on her own anniversary nearly 40 years ago. And
afterwards, I will pack them up, set them aside in my cedar chest and eventually they will appear on
the doorstep of the next woman in our family to celebrate 25 years.
Traditions can sometimes start without a thought. A pair of pants turns
into a legacy that will carry on for many years. I’m thankful for these pants
and all they represent - not just the symbolism of a 25-year marriage, but the
love and tradition that carry on within a family.
What traditions are important in your family? What traditions can you
begin creating today?
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