Traditional Values

Tradition is a form of comfort.
Despite the passing of time and the constant of change,
tradition allows us to make a return.
A return to childhood or memories with loved ones passed or to times that were easier or to youthful days before the burdens of adulthood.

Tradition preserves culture and heritage.
Tradition preserves family ties.
Tradition preserves holidays.

Tradition can also prevent us from breaking free.
Compelled to live in a memory, tradition is a focus on the past.
Tradition is used to manipulate consumption habits.
The embrace of a valued custom may also be restraint from moving forward.

When traditions are harmful, how do we let go?
It is a betrayal to use tradition to maintain the status quo
when change is in the air.
Breaking free also means rebuking the past.
Can you hold onto the cherished memories but abandon tradition?

To value our past is to use what we have learned in order to benefit from the future.
Tradition should be the preservation of our best values.
To fear change is to ignore the lessons of the past.
Traditions of love, sharing, family, remembrance, gratitude, and all of those virtues that add beauty to our nature as human beings, should be at the heart of tradition.
Standing by the rigid repetition of custom and decorum is for those who have forgotten why we celebrate tradition.

And so, it's not the turkey or the gravy.
It's not the greedy binge and heaping plates.
It's not the centerpiece or even the cozy fire.
It is thanks.
It is appreciation;
for survival and for each other.
And it is hope;
that we will learn from the past so that we can keep the tradition going.