tradition

being the type a personality
that i am, i love tradition.
particularly, around the holidays.
there is comfort in the familiar.
knowing that year to year the rituals
for the most part stay the same.

sure i look forward to creating
new traditions with ph and chace.
but there are certain family rituals
that i wanted to share with him,
to watch him experience, see through his eyes
and live for himself.

for 38 years the texas-texas a&m football game
has been a part of our thanksgiving day tradition.
it didn't really matter who won the game, because being
a house divided, there was always a winner and a loser.
the point is that we would gather around the tv cheer or curse
and just be together.

tonight is the last game in a storied college football rivalry.
a rivalry between two school who embody tradition.

one of the greatest rivalries
in college football is coming to an end
because texas a&m ( my alma matter) is heading to the SEC.
i am sure that many factors came into play,
but lets be honest, this move was motivated by money, not tradition.

this makes me sad.
ph and chace will not get to experience
this tradition first hand.
to stand in a stadium full of 100,000 fans.
to feel the bleachers shake.
to watch each school take pride and tradition
to the field for bragging rights.

many generations of future students will
have to listen to family members reflect on
a time when the two great universities met
on the football field on thanksgiving day.
they will not be able to live the tradition
for themselves.

and after all.
tradition is about living the experience.