Our family has three very important holidays coming up; Farkle Day, John Deere Day, and Fudgsicle Day.

You will not find these on a regular calendar anywhere, only on our family calendar. This is a tradition started about ten years ago.

I had a wonderful Aunt who had a less than wonderful life in so many different ways. When she was slightly older than me, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and was cancer free for a while, but it came back. Even after another mastectomy, chemo, radiation and the rest of the wonderful treatments. The cancer continued to attack her body. We lost her when she was much too young.

Her favorite thing was to give a new child in the family their first fudgesicle, get them as messy as possible and then hand the child back to the parents. Her adult children struggled with the loss of their mother, and rightfully so. When the anniversary of her death came around, they wanted to do something for that day. My Aunt was not one to sit around and moan about her bad life. She worked hard to provide for four children without any child support from her ex-husband. She was a strong woman and we wanted to remember her in a positive manner, so we started fudgesicle day. Everyone is to eat a fudgesicle on that day, and if there is a new baby in the family, the baby gets one too, and must get messy.

Farkle Day is coming up on Friday. When my Great-Grandmother passed away six years ago, we chose a similar tradition to honor her memory. My Great-Grandmother is the single strongest woman and person I have ever met in my life. I could write a full blog just about her. I am proud to say I have many of her characteristics. Grandma loved to play a dice game called Farkle and she was not gentle about it. Grandma played for nickels, and if you wanted to play, you better have your nickels ready.

We will remember her birthday by playing Farkle. Sammy was lucky to have known this incredible woman for a couple of years, but only one year as herself. She suffered a stroke that left her unable to do the things she loved, including playing Farkle.

John Deere Day is in honor of my grandfather. He was a farmer most of his life, and after an accident with a bull resulted in the loss of both of his legs, he started collecting miniature John Deere tractors. His funeral was John Deere theme with all the pall bearers wearing John Deere suspenders and the rest of the family in John Deere clothes or that color green. He would have loved it. On his birthday we either wear green, or play with tractors.

All these things started as a way to honor those that we have lost, but they have become a way to teach our new children about these special people, have some fun, build family bonding events, turn “ordinary” days into special ones, and build family traditions. Rather than dreading these days, I look forward to them and celebrating the incredible people that I have been blessed to have in my life.

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