When I was younger, I definitely took the holidays for granted. I loved every minute of them, of course, but I don't think I realized what all of these traditions would mean to me one day. Thanksgiving and Christmas have become so much more to me than eating food my family prepared and getting presents.

When I was little, Thanksgiving meant I got to lick the spoons and beaters that my mom used to make the pies. As I got older, I helped my mother make them by stirring the stuff together. Now, the job of making my mother's infamous pumpkin pie has fallen onto my shoulders completely. Now this pie has become more than just a tasty treat to stuff myself with when I am already too full of turkey and mashed potatoes. This pie is something my mother passed on to me, something that was important to her, and something that will one day be important to my kids who have to make it.

When I was little, I would always make cut out cookies at my Nana and Papa's house. We would make them into fancy holiday themed shapes and paint them with different colored icing. As I got older, the shapes and intricacies of the cookies changed, but my love for the tradition never did. Listening to Christmas carols and painting cookies with my grandparents is one of my fondest memories. So now, those cookies mean more to me than just something to leave out for Santa. These cookies symbolize a lasting tradition, and the memories of people I got to share them with. And one day I will have to tell my kids about the first time I painted a Santa cookie with my Papa, and know that it will mean just as much to them.

And when I was little, the holidays were just about my family and our traditions. Now I am older, and I spend parts of the holiday season with my fiance and his family, and I get to learn about their special traditions. And I realize now that it I'm not just going to a New Year's Eve party. This party means something. It's a tradition that brings people together when all is merry and bright.

No matter where my life takes me, I will always find my way home for the holidays. Because of all of these traditions, and the love that is spread during this time, there is no other place I would rather be.