Best time to plant tree, one hundred years ago.

Second best time, today.

                                                                 - Chinese proverb

The search for meaning through ritual is ancient, though perhaps more important now than ever before.  Family traditions do so much more than commemorate a milestone; they can serve as guideposts along the way, helping us to shape our daily lives and foster values—indeed, they can be an oasis in an increasingly hectic and busy world.  Traditions can help us grow and flourish; they reflect and inspire the way we parent and how we honor the passage of time, achievement, and meaningful moments in our lives. In a society that is increasingly chaotic, wired, and weird, they offer a way to connect with a spiritual dimension, a way to feel the embrace of a quieter world, and a chance to teach your children well.

Traditions are comforting and predictable. They also involve a sense of history, sometimes generational, that affords a strong sense of self and one’s place in the family  and the world, both morally and spiritually. They ground us. They are a way to mark passages, be it a birthday, holiday, marriage, or death. We impart them to our children, but we also partake for our own sake.  Plus, they’re fun!

What Shall I Leave My Children?

The open sky, the brown earth, the leafy tree,

The golden sand, the blue water, the stars in courses

and the awareness of this.

Birdsong, butterflies, clouds and rainbows,

Sunlight, moonlight, firelight.

A hand reaching down for a small hand,

Impromptu praise, an unexpected kiss, a straight answer.

The glow of enthusiasm, and a sense of wonder,

Long days to be merry in and nights without fear.

The memory of a good home.

Anonymous