Maple Leaf Traditions

MAPLE LEAF

"Its a Carthage thing". I used to say that about the parade, and the thought stopped there. I remember one year when Dad-O and I were dating, I was sick and missed the parade. I actually was, in a way, relieved that I did not have to get up and "fight the crowd and traffic." As the years have passed I have realized the parade is so much more than a passing of bands and clowns. It's a family thing, a friend thing. It's people coming together who may not normally exchange much more than a smile. It's aunt Kiley opening her home to a little boy she doesn't know because he may not make it to the out house. Its uncles Chet and Charlie serving hot dogs and making sales. Its Jen and Wade, Cate and Claire sharing laughs and stories of Maple Leaf past. Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup, adult coffee, warming our hands at Mimi and Papa's freshly cleaned house and napping wherever you land. Walking the square, smelling funnel cakes and feeling like you stepped back in time a bit. Its a tradition, and I am learning {and helping B and E} to love it!