I joke and say I should have been a mother in the 50's. I would have rocked the dresses and pearls. Maybe not the heels. My height would have still kept my attempts at walking in heels to the quick up and down wobble through the shoe aisle, and that's all. I appreciate the one car lifestyle. The man in uniform, off to work at 9 and home by 5. The long days spent outside playing with friends and chatting with the other stay at home mothers. The safety net of suburban neighborhoods and the lack of political correctness (especially around the holidays!). The earlier years were booming with the richness of dinner around the table, homemade meals, clean social events, strong religion and imaginative play. It was a time of card games, brunches, dinners with friends, summer concerts in the center of town and long awaited county Fairs.
Of course, each era has it's pros and cons, and the 50's weren't without its own set of negatives. I appreciate my era of cell phones, social media and the ability to instantly connect with loved ones around the world. I appreciate more sanitary conditions and the ability to treat and cure many diseases. Washing machines, dryers, stoves and other appliances have made life easier and more manageable. If I could have the best of both worlds... oh the utopia we'd live in!
But, obviously, the simplicity of the 50's has since past and has made way for a new, more busy one. Through out the years, even though we have gotten closer to many people via the internet and other means, we have lost touch of so much. We have moved away from the weekly dinners with friends, the game nights and the dinners around the table. We have replaced them with long hours of video games, chatting with friends sporadically over social media sites and phones, and quick dinners in front of the TV. In turn, we have found ourselves sedentary. The generations before us worked manual labor jobs, walked to school and back home (although maybe not 3 miles, in the snow, up hill both ways), and spent many hours outdoors. Just reading over this and imagining yourself doing even half of the things your grandparents did brings on some warm fuzzies, huh? It does for me!
So, here is my quest. I am working on Traditionalizing my modern family. Bringing back the ideals and morals of the earlier years while keeping a foot in the world we live in now. I am a conservative, patriotic woman who desires to raise her children up to be Soldiers of Christ, confident in their faith, able to take care of themselves, and to not give in to the laziness of the 21st century.
I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on this journey. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. Here we go.... cheers!
