An impromptu invitation from some friends has turned into a holiday tradition in our house. I love it when that happens.
Three years ago, we joined a group of friends at a local glass shop. That’s not exactly where you would expect to find families of young children spending their time, but the shop owner encouraged our visit and we accepted.
Prior to that, my one and only experience in a glass blowing shop came in my 20’s while on a trip to Ireland with a friend. We stopped in at the Waterford Crystal factory and were given the grand tour – we were kept safely behind a glass window so as not to cause any damage. Of course, I felt that their precautions were unwarranted, but the curators insisted on it. What-ever.
These days I would, undoubtedly, force a group of 20 year olds walking into my glass shop behind a partition as well. Only hindsight can give you that sort of insight.
Anyway….my experience was a whole lot different than the one my kids now call tradition. You see, on our family trips to our local glass 
store, we don’t simply stare in awe through a glass partition. Oh no, no, no. We don safety glasses and are given full access to the giant stove that heats and molds the glass and we create these beautiful ornaments. Yes, these ornaments pictured right here were made by my very own children in a tiny, little shop in a quaint, little town just 5 minutes from our home right here in the good ol’ US of A.
How cool is that?
I absolutely, positively love the fact that our friends thought to invite us along three years ago. And I absolutely, positively love that my kids now look forward to this day each holiday season. And I absolutely, positively love that this little glass shop welcomes us year after year and has happily agreed to let us expand our glass blowing party next year so that more friends can join the tradition.
Can you tell that this tradition makes me absolutely, positively happy?
The Happiness Trick 