Tradition or Rut?
Knowing the difference is EVERYTHING
Traditions are great. As long as they don’t turn into ruts.
For instance, my family has a simple tradition of watching Home Alone on Thanksgiving night. We curl up and laugh and quote all the lines. It’s nothing new—the same film every time. But, for us, it signals the beginning of the holiday season. It’s a bonding tradition we look forward to every year.
Contrast that with the couple who picks the same restaurant every date night. At first, it was their favorite place to eat. Now, it’s just easy. They know the menu. It’s predictable. And they don’t have to worry about trying someplace new—“What if it sucks?!”
That’s an example of a rut. And unfortunately, many of us are caught in such ruts. But we cleverly numb ourselves into thinking that’s OK by labeling them traditions.
It’s the boss who says, “That’s the way we’ve always done it around here.”
It’s the religious leader who rejects much-needed change because “It violates our traditions.”
It’s the family whose connection is slowly dying because everyone is stuck in their ways.
Traditions are touchstones, safe places for communities to meet and remember what matters most, an anchor in the chaotic sea of everyday life. Ruts are just relational retirement homes where connection and community go to spend their final days in comfort.
It’s important not to confuse the two.
I’d love to know how you see it. Join me in the comments!
This is so true. And the older you get it’s easy to do what you’ve always done. And that gets boring, as ruts often do. Thanks for the reminder it doesn’t have to be that way.