A few weeks ago I decided to make some Chinese donuts…you know the ones. You get them at the buffet or from the takeout place. Are they actually Chinese? My research tells me yes, but they come in many different forms.
Why did I decide to make them? Thank you for asking. I love donuts and these are pretty simple to make even without using canned biscuits. Aside from loving donuts and these being simple to make, they also bring back memories of my childhood. It seems like every Sunday after church for quite some time, we went to Spring Garden Chinese restaurant in Mount Dora, Florida. (Sadly, it’s closed and there’s a laundromat there now.) It was a buffet. The interior was typical. There was a fish tank, some gumball machines and I’m betting a waving cat of some kind although I can’t picture it.
The family that ran the restaurant always remembered us when we came in and were very happy to see us. I don’t know if they remembered everyone or just the families who were multi-racial, had a child with Downs Syndrome and who came every Sunday with seven paying customers. Either way, they were pleasant folks.
I remember choosing to fill my plate with beef and broccoli, baby corn, sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls, and of course, Chinese donuts. I probably ate more donuts than was economically wise considering the price of buffets, but at least I ate more than only donuts. I’m sure that made my dad happy.
Going to the Chinese buffet is a fond memory for me. At the time I didn’t realize what that must have cost and what sacrifices we likely had to make in order to go so frequently. Of course, we also had a stint at Quincy’s Buffet (which ironically is now a Japanese buffet).
What I am struggling with currently is the importance of tradition versus the importance of new experiences. So many families have traditions that go back years and years. There are families who have visited the same hotel on the same beach for as far back as can be remembered. The same cabin in the woods. The same trip to Disney. I am sure that these are great memories and will continue to be for future generations, but at what cost? Maybe there are new memories to be made at a different beach, in a different city, in a different country, surrounded by a different cultural influence. When funds are limited there is only so much that can be done, so what is best?
We are currently traveling in an RV with our kids around the US and have been for nearly two years at this point. We have seen many places including New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Yellowstone, the Pacific Ocean, the Mackinac Bridge, Mount Rushmore, and The Alamo (which nobody seems to remember). I know you may be thinking that funds must not be too limited to have been able to see all of those things, but this lifestyle actually costs us about the same as our regular lifestyle did (around $3,500 a month).
Anyway, we are creating all of these new memories, but what will our children appreciate and remember? Will it be these destinations or will it be the traditional pancakes that I make nearly every Sunday morning or our traditional Saturday “Sleep-on-the-couch-night?” What is important? Where should our focus be? Should we continue doing both? I think the short answer to that is yes.
The long answer is that I believe that everything we give our time and energy to should have meaning and be a valuable experience in our lives and those around us. With that in mind, give consideration to everything you set out to do or continue doing.