Page 12 - November2026LifeInNaples

The

Traditions

That Hold Us

Traditions give us something steady to return to

when everything else seems to be changing.

Kristine Jordan, DHA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC

here is lost, and familiar holiday tables inevitably to support together, or spending one
something look different over time. Traditions give gloriously quiet holiday morning with
Treassuring us something steady to return to when coffee and nowhere to be can become
about knowing what everything else seems to be changing. traditions every bit as meaningful.
comes next. For young adults beginning lives of And for older adults, traditions can
The same recipe their own, this may be the perfect time provide both connection and continuity.
prepared every to intentionally create a first tradition. Some may be the keepers of family
Thanksgiving. The Invite friends for a simple holiday dinner customs, recipes, stories, and history.
ornaments that emerge from a battered every December. Buy one ornament that Others may be facing holidays that no
box each December. The neighborhood represents the year. Make breakfast on longer look as they once did. This is where
drive to see holiday lights, the movie Christmas morning before opening gifts. tradition can evolve rather than disappear.
everyone can quote, the phone call made It does not need to be impressive. It only A large gathering might become brunch
at the same time every year. These rituals needs to be yours. with a few loved ones. A treasured recipe
may seem small, but together they create For families with children, traditions can be taught to a grandchild. A longtime
something powerful: a sense of order, become part of the architecture of custom can be shared with a neighbor or
belonging, and continuity in a world that childhood. Pajamas on Christmas friend.
rarely stays still. Eve, baking cookies with Grandma, Traditions should never become
Traditions are often mistaken for volunteering together, reading the obligations that exhaust us or rules that
elaborate customs passed down through same story each year. Children may not prevent us from embracing change. The
generations. They can be, but they do remember every gift they received, but best ones grow with us.
not have to be. A tradition is simply they often remember how their family Perhaps that is their greatest gift.
something meaningful that we choose to made the holidays feel. Repetition creates In the midst of a season filled with
repeat. anticipation, and anticipation is part of movement, noise, and change, traditions
And perhaps that is why they matter the magic. quietly remind us: You belong somewhere.
so much during the holidays. Couples without children can You have something to look forward to.
The holidays arrive with expectations sometimes find themselves navigating Some things remain.
of joy, but they also come during seasons holidays built around other people's And sometimes, that is exactly the
of tremendous change. Children grow family schedules. But this season belongs kind of joy we need.
up. Families expand and contract. People to them, too. A yearly getaway, hosting
move, relationships change, loved ones are a beautiful dinner, choosing a cause
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