I find that many of family's customs, especially those surrounding Roman Catholic holidays, are more like the way they are traditionally celebrated in Europe. I don't like a lot about US culture -- the flashy sexiness, the emphasis on violence as entertainment, making fun of people who are educated and smart, elevating the empty-headed to the status of cultural icons. I rebelled against my family's strict upbringing when I was in my 20s and early 30s, but I find I am returning to the "old ways" and values in my third trimester of life. I don't know whether this is wisdom or simply the regressiveness and inflexibility often attributed to old age.