Creating lasting traditions
By Jeff Whitaker
One of the songs in the Broadway musical Fiddler On The Roof is the song, “Tradition”. It talks about all of the practices passed down from generation to generation that define who the characters in the musical are as mother, father, son, daughter; what roles they are expected to play in life. In the storyline, the idea of tradition is revered by the older generation and questioned by the young. Too often, today the idea of tradition is dismissed as old fashioned and of little value. But when it comes to celebrating this special time of year, I want to encourage you to consider the upside and lasting significance of traditions.
Stop almost anyone and ask them about Christmas or Hanukah traditions and I can bet it will bring a smile to their face. Try it. The reason, I believe is that unlike the negativity associated with tradition in Fiddler, the remembrance of Holiday Traditions usually recall happy times, comfortable, familiar times of growing up and of family and friends.
What are some of the traditions you remember as a child and which ones have you carried on into adulthood? For our family, we have several traditions that my wife and I have incorporated into our family. We’ve always had a live Christmas tree and we always travel to an area farm to cut it down fresh. This year, we ran into a snag for the first time and actually bought our tree already cut. But we still picked it up from a local farm. Here is the thing. We did it as a family. We made an excursion out of the event as we always have. So, in reality the tradition part isn’t the cutting of the tree, but the family time spent together; the experience. Another tradition we always follow each Christmas morning is gathering together as a family and reading the Christmas story of the book of Luke in the Bible before we head to the tree to see the gifts and open packages. For us, it’s about reminding us of what the day is really all about. There are so many other traditions we have but my point in all of this is to cause you to think about the traditions you have and celebrate them. And if you’ve never had traditions to follow or think it’s too late to start, think again. It’s never to late and trust me, it’s the traditions you make your own that your family will remember years down the road and then pass on to their families as well.
JeffWhitaker is a lifelong communicator and storyteller. He is a certified trainer,coach and speaker with The John Maxwell Team. Jeff’s goal is to encourageexcellence in individuals and corporations through leadership andcommunications training. Connect with him at jeffwhitaker.com, through The JeffWhitaker Company on Facebook or @jeffwhitaker on Twitter.
