This month's question:
9
Is there a family tradition from your childhood that you have instilled, or would like to one day instil, in your own family?
Stories from Strangers
We’ll have a new question here every month for you to answer and engage with. Think of this as an online journal, except everyone gets a page in the book, and no one knows who’s written what (fun!).
Pour your heart out or read through the pages of someone else’s heart. Either way, we hope you find comfort in reading these stories from strangers.
Pour your heart out or read through the pages of someone else’s heart. Either way, we hope you find comfort in reading these stories from strangers.
Is there a family tradition from your childhood that you have instilled, or would like to one day instil, in your own family?
Want more questions?
Cards for Conversation may look like a small box but the questions it contains are big. Play it with friends, family, and strangers to move past the ‘howzits’ and create spaces for connecting, processing, and feeling known.
Buy a boxFrom the archives
September 24's question:
20
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
July 24's question:
110
Are you where you wanted to be at this stage in your life? Why or why not?
June 24's question:
9
What has been your biggest victory in the past year?
May 24's question:
6
What is your happiest memory of your mother or a maternal figure?
February 24's question:
17
When it comes to work, what is your negative self-talk?
January 24's question:
November 23's question:
9
What is one event in your life that you wish you could change, and how would you change it?
October 23's question:
24
When you think of the word ‘rejection’, what memory comes to mind?
September 23's question:
17
What is the most intense pain you’ve experienced that wasn’t physical?
August 23's question:
18
When you think of the word ‘disappointment’, what memory comes to mind?
May 23's question:
6
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the past year?
May 23's question:
23
When was the last time you felt lonely, and what made you feel that way?
March 23's question:
17
Who was your most influential teacher in school? What impact did they have on your life?
February 23's question:
15
What is the kindest thing someone has done for you in the past year?
January 23's question:
29
What has been your biggest victory in the past year?
December 22's question:
37
When was the last time you felt brave? What were you doing that made you feel that way?
Anonymous
We have games over dinner with our two small boys – but fun and conversational games.
My favorite is ” I remember when…..” I love it becuase I learn about things that happened in my kids days, things we may otherwise never hear about, and they love to hear stories about our lives when we were younger. It’s a great way of connecting and sharing stories and often laughing together over shared memories.
It’s also great that the youngest (who is 5) can now play the “I am thinking of an animal” game with us and we can guess real life animals!
Anonymous
Every rainy day, my family makes time to cook pancakes together and I will absolutely keep that cosy tradition.
Anonymous
My mom has always made birthdays really special for my sister and I. She raised us as a single parent so there wasn’t much to go around but she always managed to make our birthdays special.
As kids she would wake us up with small gifts placed around our body but she never wanted one of us to feel left out so my sister would also get a little gift on my birthday and I’d get one on hers.
She’d keep us home from school, take a leave day and we were allowed to choose the activities for the day.
As adults my sister and I have made birthday’s a really big deal with our husbands (even though they’re not birthday people). We take the day off, make a fuss, wake up with balloons and do a big family FaceTime.
Last year we started the tradition of hanging a photo, baking a cake and buying flowers for my dad’s birthday too even though he passed away a few years ago, just as a way to celebrate his life.
Anonymous
I love that my family always did big holidays together. Easter, Christmas and big public holidays were always spent with our extended family. It wasn’t something we ever questioned as kids. We just new we would be seeing our cousins, aunts and uncles on the next holiday.
All of the cousins in our family are now over 18 and living in different places but when spending time together it’s awesome to see how many shared memories we have of growing up and having these occasions together. We’ve got this bond that’s hard to break!
Anonymous
Not really. We were very poor and didn’t have happy traditions. It was all about surviving so trying to do better with our kids.
Anonymous
Growing up, my mom would go all out for holidays that involved a character. For eg, Easter, Christmas, the tooth mouse, etc.
Every time a tooth fell out, she would make little mouse paw prints around our rooms using flour & write a little note from the “tooth mouse” thanking us for our baby tooth.
Every Easter, she would leave chocolate covered peanuts around the house claiming them to be the Easter bunny’s “bok droltjies”.
Her efforts will never be forgotten & it’s something I’d love to introduce into my family one day.
Anonymous
I love how my family does Sundays. Its changed a little as we’ve grown up, but when we were young, it was such a special family day. We’d start the day with church, and then we’d prepare lunch – either a big roast or have a braai under a massive tree in the garden. Usually friends and neighbours would come over to join us.
We’d spend the whole day in the garden. It was a no TV day, and it was the only day of the week we were allowed a cool drink – some days we were even allowed a beer shandy (mostly lemonade, and a tiny drop of my dad’s beer). It was such a treat! For dinner. After a big lunch, we’d have breakfast for dinner – either scrambled eggs or French toast. I loved those slow days, and I’ll definitely instil them in my own family one day.
Anonymous
Yes! Using a dice whilst opening Christmas presents. Everyone gets a number and you can only open a present when your number is rolled. Growing up in a family that didn’t have looooads of presents come Christmas time, this always made the moment last longer and diverted our attention from the “lack” into fun.
Anonymous
Early Birthday Wakeups???? as horrible as that may sound to a non-morning person… hear me out.
As far as I know my grandparents started the tradition. Everyone in the house is gathered on the morning of your birthday, usually before work or school with presents, tea, and coffee in hand. Then a light knock on the door is least of your worries because next thing you know the whole family bursts in singing happy birthday! Once everyone has said their wishes and you’ve managed to wake up enough to sit up, everyone gathers around your bed while you open up your presents.
I get that for some an ideal wakeup on your birthday would be a late lie in. But there is something special about waking up on such an exciting day, surrounded by the people you love spoiling you.
You’re made to feel special from before you’re awake! And in everyone’s extremely busy lives it’s one of the few times in a day you’re all in the same place at the same time.
Plus sometimes there’s cake. And you can’t convince me cake for breakfast isn’t great.