Fall Tradition

Originally Written Between 2016-2017

It all started many, many years ago when my husband, Norm, and I read in the paper about a trip the writer had taken with his family to look at the leaves in the fall.  Well, we decided to take his exact route and do the same thing.  So, we bundled up four-month old Michael and off we went.  

The leaves were beautiful and Michael slept most of the day – which made it perfect!  Around noon, we found ourselves in a little town in Wisconsin called Plum City.  We decided to stop and eat at Kay’s Corner Café.  On the way home, we stopped at one of the orchards in the area to buy apples and a little pumpkin for Michael’s first Halloween.  

A fine day – but one that was forgotten until the next fall when we thought the toddler Michael would enjoy the day.  This time, Michael picked out his own pumpkin, and we fed the ducks and fish in the little pond in the park across the street from Kay’s Corner Café.  You see, we took the same route.  Little did we know that this would be a start of a tradition that would last for over 25 years.

Every couple of years or so, we added another child to our family – David, John, and Rebecca.  The car rides weren’t always pleasant (everyone fighting over who gets to sit by the window), and we traveled in all sorts of weather.  We added other rituals to our day such as stopping at the same rest area, throwing the football around, and finding the beautifully colored leaves for “show and tell” at school.

As the years went by, Norm and I thought that as soon as the kids were teenagers, they, of course, wouldn’t be caught dead riding in a car with their parents and siblings.  Wrong!  Our kids really enjoyed our outings; and when each child left for college, they made sure they came home the first Saturday in October for our trip.

One year, David broke his foot just before we left for Plum City.  Our trip was delayed while he got his cast set and he offered to stay home while the rest of us continued on our adventure.  The kids all stood up and said they wouldn’t go without him.  So, we gave him some Tylenol, put him in the front seat (since he couldn’t bend his leg), and off we went.  I had to sit in the back seat – but made sure I got a window!

A very simple day – but one filled with tradition.  We created memories.  We still look at the pictures we’ve taken throughout the years and reminisce about how each always ordered the same meal at Kay’s.  We’d also end the meal with ice cream cones that we ate while feeding the ducks.

We had fun.  We enjoyed the day of just being together – laughing in the car and talking about the year Norm was stopped for speeding.  The patrolman let him off without a ticket because, in his words, “Your kids will never let you forget this – that’s enough of a punishment.”  And believe me, he was right!

And we bonded.  We also ASSUMED that years from now, on that first Saturday in October, you would see Norm and Mary driving along to Plum City followed by four cars each carrying our children and their new families.  The assumption to continue this family tradition didn’t pan out, however.  You see, one year, we convinced our next-door neighbors to go to Plum City with us.  While we had a fine time, it wasn’t the same.  We probably tried too hard to make the day exactly as we always remembered it.  Another time, we included Michael’s fiancée.  He so wanted her to enjoy the day and to make it a tradition for the two of them in the years to follow.  That didn’t happen.

I guess our children all got busy with their own lives.  Other commitments or events became more important.  Sometimes, they had to work on that first Saturday in October.  Michael moved to Seattle for five years and David left for Reno to further his education.  He’s still there.  The kids grew up and started other traditions with their friends and new families.  And, that’s okay.  We had our own family tradition that we will all remember with fondness, love, and laughter.  And, that’s how it should be.