Holiday Cheer

by Isabella Dussias
What is cherished the most
by teens during the holiday season? Of course, we love our time off from school
to relax with family and friends. It’s a nice break to pull away from what
often feels like over-scheduled lives and take time to realize what matters
most to us. However, in polling some of my friends, I found that teens have a
lot of pride in what makes them unique in how they celebrate the holidays.
There
are many families that carry on traditions that have been handed down through
generations. Learning how to make those cherished family recipes is important
to us as young adults because someday we will be handing these down to future
generations. Teens have pride in what we have learned from those who have come
before us and taught us about our heritage. Whether it is making a special meal
or going to a certain holiday event each year, it makes us feel special and
have a greater sense of connection to our family as a whole. There are certain
things my friends look forward to annually. Without them, the holiday season
would not feel the same.
So, this year, if you
think your teen isn’t interested in that traditional family activity or that
maybe they’ve outgrown it, think again. We are just waiting for the custom that
we have become used to—the song we always sing or the cookies we always bake or
crafts we always make—that embodies holiday cheer.
Home is where the heart
is—this is what we cherish. Those special times with family and traditions that
we have learned have made us who we have become. Someday we will be the ones
ensuring that these endure, that the fabric of our family is maintained and
that we build a home full of warmth and happiness.
So, here’s to a season
full of love, family, traditions and holiday cheer! Hope it’s a good one for
you and yours!
Isabella Dussias is a 16-year-old
singer-songwriter/composer from New Jersey. She enjoys writing about issues
that are important to today’s youth, and she believes music is an important
outlet to connect people and share messages through the creativity of lyric and
melody. For more information, visit IsabellaDussias.com.