Traditions in the family help us to organize our thoughts and align our actions for higher principles and ideals. Following a particular habit or routine has been based on personal choice. When a one-time choice is repeated more than once, it turns into a routine after 21 days of repetition. When routine is created by the person who first started it and then, followed through generations then, it becomes a tradition.
There were many traditions in my family and the import of it, I understood much later in my life. Now, I happen to appreciate them as memories of my past. Sometimes, we move away from traditions, not because we don’t believe in them, our situation in life is not conducive to supporting that tradition which was followed by our parents.
Traditions for Humanity Are Precedent Thoughts
If we looked at the routines, we follow in our life, we would also understand that when it is passed down to off-springs, it brings about studied change in the thought patterns of the family. These traditions get ingrained in the character and personality of a person. Sometimes, this happens to be an easy conduit of family traits and skills to the younger generations. It is the younger generation that would eventually pass it on to their children. Thus, keeping the skillsets and traits of a family alive for centuries together.
Sometime, when a long-sighted thought and vision are kept in place, with the right collective attitudes of a family. Keeping them alive may take many generations, but rest assured it will happen.
With modernization, there comes frequent breaks in the tradition. These traditions were goodwill practices in families. But these practices are soon vanishing.
The nuclear family attitude does not provide a conducive space to grow and to nurture traditional habits. Good habits bring with them positivity and that brings with it an overall well-being of the family.
Modern Day Routine and Habit Structure
Certain families have strict rules and regulations in their interaction with internal and external human affairs. The strength of a joint family system is replaced with the strength of helpful friends circle.
So, the traditional solutions, as opposed to the non-traditional quick fixes, both these solutions have their advantages and disadvantages.
The best way to workout a solution that is custom-made through processed thoughts, takes time. The common good is made into a natural choice and a solution-based attitude for better self-cultivation.
The modern nuclear families create their own modern routine while not intending to make it a tradition. This optional choice for a family provides the necessary venue to explore and to experiment.
In this situation, there arises a question of how to sustain such activities without compromising on the general good for all. Because habits could be good or bad. It is then crucial as to which one is chosen as a form of collective progress.
Building Tradition In Slow Trickles
Every tradition has been a mutually beneficial activity in a family. But whether these did good or did they do bad can be left for further discussion at a later stage.
Because to set up a tradition or a routine converted to tradition, both need support and agreement from all concerned. Take for example, if a family has a tradition of meeting once or twice a day and catching up on their day with each other.
This activity gives positive vibes for the well-being of a family. When it is done regularly without any breaks then it proves to be beneficial for all in the family.
For example: Some families get together two or three times during their repast. The conversation is sequenced with the youngest report for the day to the eldest. Since children are also involved in the setting it is best to keep the conversation child-friendly.
Similarly, the tradition of reading children’s books to the young ones before they go to sleep is also a time when the parents interact with their children and given them streams of hope before their dreamscapes picks up the processing of the story and its import.
Choice Between Tradition and Routine
Following a tradition or a routine is a choice. It is made best for gaining insight into any issues faced by the members of the family. For deep understanding and decoding of the issue could be done on a one-on-one basis.
While creating a traditional activity it is necessary to understand that collectively it is an enjoyable activity. The value sets that get placed in the young and adult minds gives stability and traction in solving problems as a team or group.
Team Building requires activities that support the individual and common goals of the group with fairness being in the center. When a family opts to start a tradition there may be initial difficulties in getting a consensus from all involved. But it also proves that the bonding at various levels would involve a requirement for a lot of patience.
Starting and Maintenance of a Tradition
People in the current fast-paced world are short of time and the need for quick quality results does not consider the need for patience and preservation. The best rolled out plan also faces difficulties towards successful completion, which in turn means that keeping a close eye on the group’s vibes becomes important to predict and eliminate early symptoms of failures.
In the early days, when a generation started a tradition and there was more hope, the next generation would follow those traditions. There was not much worry on that account. But the modern society and its overall pressures on the families sure make it difficult to even have a tradition in the first place.
Yet to set good precedence, the hurdles of communication, decision-making, structuring, emotional attachment, oneness, and all these and many more points need to be investigated.
Earlier the patriarchal and the matriarchal families followed rules because it was stated by an elder of the family. But these days the vanishing elders in the family are replaced with cohesive neighbors and friends, then the rules become a little lackluster.
Gaining Traction in Slow Trickles
Traditions are good but not all of them are good. If with discerning mindset one views this routine turned tradition with equanimity then the modern-day society with all its criticism for is cold-hearted behavior could still be a warm-hearth of happiness. What I would like to conclude is that, be it a tradition for many generations or a routine for the present generation, it does not matter. What matters is that it brought about unity despite diversity in the family.
Itinerant Storyteller 