"Honor tradition, embrace change"
Happy December first, all! If you’re anything like me, the day after Thanksgiving, holiday decorations were put up, the Hallmark channel was on, and my Christmas playlist was put on a continual loop. Okay, well, I maybe have to confess something, the Christmas tree may have been up before Thanksgiving this year at the Polson house. These holiday traditions provide excitement, comfort, and a sense of belonging with our loved ones. One of my favorite holiday traditions is on Christmas Eve, my mom always makes a cake or some sort of dessert because when my younger sister was little she thought of Christmas as being Jesus’s birthday and she thought we needed a birthday cake for him. Take a moment to think about your favorite holiday traditions and the fulfillment those traditions bring.
Traditions are not limited to just holidays. In fact most of our lives are built around traditions. When we stop and think about the teams, communities, and families we are a part of, traditions become very apparent. Traditions become the foundation of connections with others.
Recently a quote has become very apparent in my life and I have found it to ring true in several aspects: “Honor tradition, embrace change”. We live in an ever changing world and as leaders, it is our duty to embrace this change for the better so that we may better serve each other. Many of our usual traditions look different this year. We just finished celebrating the first ever entirely virtual National Convention: a tradition with a change in setting. However, this change in setting resulted in the opportunity for every FFA member, and other non-traditional guests, to attend National Convention without travel restriction. In fact, the week of National Convention my grandma called me to tell me she had seen a chapter in Kansas get recognized at the national level on TV. That connection wouldn’t have happened if National Convention wasn’t entirely virtual.
How we celebrate traditions may change, but why we do it remains the same. Do not let change limit the meaning behind your traditions. Embrace the change for the better and continue to appreciate the meaning behind traditions, rather than how it is celebrated. Happy holidays, friends!
– Hattie