A long time ago I saw a vlog that talked about different social customs in Europe and the United States. The vlogger talked specifically about the lack of social gatherings people had during the work week. It suggested that people in Europe are more open to going out or being involved in social gatherings during weeknights and that people in the United States tend to stick to a more rigid weeknight routine.
I can’t say I agree or disagree with this because I only lived in Europe until I was 9 years old, but I would agree that most people I know in the United States (especially with kids) tend to go home right after work and get right into their “hang around clothes”.
My husband and I fit into this description, with some exceptions.
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Our youngest turned one year on a Tuesday. We had a big party with friends and family planned for her the following Saturday, but we celebrated her special day with immediate family. It was a weekday night, but our family still headed to our house after their workday to congratulate our little girl.
Will she remember this night? Probably not. But I know I will. And my husband and toddler will, too. In fact, I think we will all remember that night.
I’ve always wanted a big family. My entire extended family lives in Europe, so it’s always just been my parents, sister, and me celebrating on special days. When I married my husband, I was lucky enough to gain more family by becoming part of his.
On our baby’s first birthday, my husband and I had to add the leaf extension to our dining table and also add a long folding table just so we had enough room to seat everyone.
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There’s one memory from that Tuesday night that I’m confident I’ll always have: while sitting at the head of the table next to my now one-year-old, looking down the long stretch of the table and seeing almost all the people I love most in my life sitting together. There was laughter and conversation and it felt amazing.
Not everyone is as lucky as I am. We often take those who are closest to us for granted because we feel most comfortable with them. I’m guilty of doing this, too. But I often try to remind myself of how fortunate I am to have these people in my life. Not everyone will be able to make it to every special event and things might not always go smoothly (especially when there are little ones involved), but the important thing to remember is that we are always going to be there for each other.
We spent 3 hours together celebrating our little girl’s birthday on a weekday night. Our kids went to bed a little later than usual and they were completely spent after quite literally doing forward rolls with their aunts all night, but every second was worth it. It took my husband and me quite some time to prep all the food ahead of time, but we would do it all over a million times.
I write all of this for two reasons: the first is that, like many of my posts, I want people to remember how important family is. Remember that blood does not make you family. Family is anyone who you love. The second reason I write this is to motivate you to step out of that regular weekday routine and do something different. Whether it’s having some friends and/or family over for a game night or going out for date night – do it.
Life is short.
You might be a little more tired the next morning, but believe me, these occasional breaks from your routine will wake you up more than you think.
Here’s to showing Europe what we’re made of *wink, wink*.
