My teenage son Karl changed a lot after he lost his father. As a single parent, I tried to talk to him. It didn’t work. He kept silent all the time. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. He was still withdrawn. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.

One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and prayed for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”

I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands.” “For a moment there was silence onthe other end of the line.” The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for yourtime”, and hung up.

Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I attended a parent—teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said: “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year? I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”

I have learned something about myself since I moved from Long Island to Florida three years ago. Even though I own a home in Port St. Lucie just minutes from the ocean, an uncontrollable urge wells up to return to Long Island even as others make their way south. I guess I am a snowbird stuck in reverse. Instead of enjoying Florida’s mild winters, I willingly endure the severe weather on Long Island, the place I called home for 65 years.

I’m like a migratory bird that has lost its sense of timing and direction, my wings flapping against season.

So what makes me fly against the tide of snowbirds? The answer has a lot to do with my reluctance to give up the things that define who I am. Once I hear that the temperature on Long Island has dipped into the range of 40 to 50 degrees, I begin to long for the sight and crackling sound of a wood fire. I also long for the bright display o£ colors — first in the £all trees, and then in the limits around homes and at Rockefeller Center. Floridians decorate too, but can’t create the special feel of a New England winter.

I suppose the biggest reason why I telum is to celebrate the holidays with people I haven’t seen in months. What could be better than sitting with family and friends for a Thanksgiving turkey din ner, or watching neighbors’ children excitedly open gifts on Christmas? Even the first snowfall seems special. I especially enjoy seeing a bright red bird settling on a snow-covered branch ( My wife and I spend winters at a retirement community in Ridge, and I’m grateful that I don’t have to shovel.）

While these simple pleasures are not unique to Long Island, they are some of the reasmis why I come back. Who says you can’t go home?

Since you enter this world, most of your firsts happen with your family. Naturally, this leads to the establishment of a tradition. Family and its traditions greatly influence a child. Most families pass on family values as a tradition, so that parents help their children become better individuals through them.

For parents, the teenage years of their child are a test. The values you have taught your kids are put to use. The values you put in your child in the early years help your child from walking the wrong path even when times get tough.

Many families hold the tradition of having dinner together. The flavor of love and togetherness makes you forget about your bad day. Merely a simple meal with your loved ones can lighten your shoulders like no other thing. Small traditions like sharing a meal or cooking on Sundays help you stay connected to your family.

Having traditions makes you feel special in your own space. When you have things in common, you’ll enjoy the company a little more, and no other company is better than family. Lastly, traditions may not necessarily be celebrated each year; they can be enjoyed in their own sweet way on the dining table, kitchen, or even at the door.

Daffnee Cohen told Healthy Cells Magazine in an article, “Tradition is one of the most beautiful beliefs we have created and experienced as living and loving humans.”

In the current fast-paced life, family traditions bring in moments you wish to keep for a lifetime. They shape you, comfort you, give you a sense of belonging, create unforgettable memories, and make you better and stronger individuals. So, instead of doubting their presence, treasure each moment.