Traditions – RunningWell

Hi Everyone!

Happy Holidays to all! Hope you’re all enjoying some time with the people you love and, let’s be honest, a different type of hectic-ness. And also hopefully you’re finding some downtime.

Over the past few days I’ve been thinking about traditions. Why we have them, what they mean, whether they’re important. Today is Boxing Day. Here in Canada we celebrate that, but our neighbours to the south don’t. I looked it up – it stems from the Victorian era when servants of wealthy people had to work on Christmas, so they were given the following day off along with boxed up leftovers from the night before. Now it’s just a tradition – sort of like a day off after the excess of Christmas to just sit around in sweats and chill out with your closest family. Americans are probably all busy at work right now. It’s just a tradition for us, but we’re holding onto it.

Much of what we do stems from tradition. We do things we’ve always done because it feels safe and comfortable. But it’s not a bad idea to revisit traditions sometimes as we grow and change. We may need to let some go and we can always bring new ones in. I’ve had to learn to become flexible with the power and myth of traditions as I navigate things with questioning teenagers. Why does our annual family Christmas party have to be so dressy? Fine, you can wear baggy jeans and mangled running shoes! Why do we have to have a fancy meal on Christmas Eve? Fine, let’s order the Swiss Chalet Festive Special! And some new traditions have been born. We’ve started and plan to continue “extended family Christmas Eve badminton” with siblings and cousins. Then we can all walk around on Christmas clutching our butts and complaining we’re so sore. Such a fun tradition!

Many of our running routines stem from tradition. I love our LES Christmas day run (which I missed this year because the teenagers were just getting up), but I love knowing it’s there and still feel part of it and will rejoin in years to come. I love how many running groups have the tradition of running to Kringlewood to see the Santas. There’s nothing special about that run other than it’s a destination, it brings people together, and it marks the start of a celebratory holiday. Our Ekiden in the summer is also a tradition. People come out of hiding and limp through injuries to participate in that. Again, there’s no big draw other than it brings us together and we’ve always done it.

So let’s hold on to the traditions that bring us together, dump the ones we don’t have use for anymore, and build some new ones which can serve our needs of community and friendship.

To traditions!!

Tomorrow we’re on hills. I’ll let everyone decide when and where to do them. No structure, no instructions, no timing. Just find a hill, find a friend, and run up and down together a few times. Enjoy!!!

Seanna