c o o k ie s
o n c a ll
A grown daughter in
Texas passes along her
mother’s tradition
When Christiane Erwin of Austin, Texas,
and her husband, David, began having
kids eight years ago, she knew she wanted
to do something special duringthe
holidays to make it memorable for her
three children (they haveafourth one on
the way). The tradition she chose was an
easy decision—it was one her mother
started when Christiane was still a child.
On Christmas Day, after everyone has
opened their gifts, the Erwin family gets
dressed and walks to the neighborhood
fire station, just as Christiane had done
with her mother. There, the Erwin kids
hand over plates of carefully wrapped
and decorated cookies as a token of
gratitude for the firefighters who are on
duty while everyone else is home
enjoying their families.
Every once in a while, they have to
leave the cookies on the doorstep,
because the firefighters are out on a
call. “In a way, that’s almost more
touchingto us because you know
they’re out working and maybe saving a
life. It makes us feel good knowing
they’ll come backto find the cookies.”
As much as Christiane appreciates
the opportunityto bring a little joy into
the firefighters’ lives, she’s also
intensely aware ofthe impact this
tradition has on her children.
“When we go, it’s a very personal
experience for them,” she says. “The
oldertheygetythe more they
understand the importance of such
acts.” And one day, she hopes, they
may even feel compelled to continue
the tradition into athird generation
when they have their own families.
“I’m curioustosee howthey’ll
morph the tradition or if they’ll keep it
the same,” Christiane says. “It really
doesn’t matterto me, because the
sentiment is still very much the same.
And that’s what’s important.”
Perhaps the.
most gratifying
aspect of
developing
your own
tradition is the
very special
moment when
you see your
grown children
celebrating it
with their own
young families.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS DECEMBER 2009 233
Give more Chan pnesends. Give giPGs.
