Jumpstart Happiness: Traditions & Cake

Ever since I saw a performance of “Fiddler On The Roof” as a child and wept over the song “Traditions” I’ve been a believer. In traditions as a good thing. Turns out I’m not alone. Experts on personal and family satisfaction say traditions make us happy.

I know what you’re thinking. “Great, guru girl. I don’t have time to do my laundry. Where am I going to find time to dream up, implement and take great joy in yet another activity, especially one that sounds arduous and complicated?!”

Good news! It turns out traditions can be just actual, everyday events that you do anyway. The key to making these events increase your family’s happiness is to talk ‘em up. Celebrate them. Basically, brand them. Just do it, people ;)

A good tradition doesn’t need to be Martha Stewart perfect and complicated. It just needs to be something you do regularly and get fired up about.

At chez guru girl one of our favorite traditions is Taco Night. Everyone gets excited about it, starting the very morning I announce it. It’s not like I have to do anything special. We have tacos about once a week anyway. It’s a tradition because we all like it and it brings about much high-fiving. Taco Night makes us feel connected and celebratory.

Like one of my favorite parts from this past 4^th of July celebration: the making of the annual 4^th of July cake. My mom started this tradition a few years ago. Grandma Guru is a great baker.

 

She whipped up this cake with no problem.

 

This year there was a problem. Grandma Guru was not along for the trip. This left me to do the honor. I wasn’t going to do it. Until the Dynamic Duo looked crestfallen at the news.

So I baked the darn cake. And it was a hit. Even though it was totally from a mix and somehow there was a big dip right in the middle of it. I just loaded on extra frosting and called it good.

My creative friend, Shawna, added a new twist. Before digging in, she had us all sing “Happy Birthday” to America. And because we couldn’t find birthday candles, Shawna solemnly held a large, decorative candle instead.

This is Shawna before her inspired sing-a-long.

 

That night at bedtime, when I asked what favorite parts of the day had been, the 7 year old piped up, “Celebrating America’s birthday”.

That’s some good stuff, and all it took was cake fixings, fruit and an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday”. Tevye was right. About traditions and probably a lot more!