When I think of the word tradition I think about family and I think about church. I have mixed emotions about traditions because sometimes I think they hold me back from trying something new and different. Does it matter if we eat turkey or shrimp and fried oysters for Thanksgiving? Do we need to take out the good China or can we just eat on paper plates? (gasp) These things may seem trivial when you read them or you may understand exactly what I am saying if you have a family that celebrates holidays with a certain tradition.
Then there are the traditions in churches... Anyone who has attended a church knows that sometimes traditions can be a source of great debate. Does it matter if you use little plastic cups for Communion or do they have to be glass? Do you make announcements before church or during the service? Do we have to hold hands during The Lord's Prayer? These are real issues in real churches. They may seem trivial but to some people the way it has always has been done is very important.
This type of tradition can that lead some of us to throw out tradition altogether which I think is also a mistake. Traditions can create strong memories that we cherish throughout our lives. The trip to Grandma's house every Thanksgiving, the Easter egg hunt with the cousins, and that annual family vacation can be a meeting point and a shared memory after much time has passed.
So I am all for using paper plates and changing up the menu but I will do my best to make that annual trek to go to that reunion or that family get together because I think tradition is very good for my family.
There's something to be said for having something to look forward to, which is something that traditions afford us. The idea that we know what's coming, at least in part. I love that we have certain things we can count on, as a family, which we can then teach our children to count on, too.
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