What's the difference between tradition and routine? The former certainly has more positive connotations than the latter. Routine conjures up boring chores while tradition makes me think of actions that are followed faithfully within a family. But both routines and traditions require that people complete them regularly, and both have helped w/ the mourning process.
My father has followed certain routines throughout his life. When he was working as a city employee, he walked to work at 8:00, drove the city pickup home for dinner at noon, and then walked home at 5:00. Our neighbors said they could set their watch by him. After he retired this obviously changed, but he just developed a new routine. The habituals actions of rising, eating breakfast, clearing the table, taking a mid-morning nap, fixing dinner, clearing the table, taking a nap, having a soda at 3:00, supper at 5:30, etc., etc., etc., Since Mom's death he's made an addition to his routine. Each night before he goes to bed, he kisses her picture in the funeral folder.
When we were in the hospital on the night of Mom's death, Dad said he always hoped he would go first b/c Mom was so much stronger than him. He didn't feel he had the strength and the courage to survive w/o her. Although he misses her every minute of every day, he's surviving, and he's surviving b/c he has stuck to his routine. It's not in his constitution to just stay in bed all day or not eat. He has admitted that he has no appetite, but he knows he has to eat. Following his daily routine keeps him going, and I'm very proud of his strength.
A tradition sounds much more noble but serves basically the same purpose as a routine. I follow the tradition of taking down Christmas decorations after Epiphany. I'd like to just sit in a corner, curled-up in a ball, and believe me I've done that too, but keeping w/ tradition keeps me going.
I'm beginning to worry, however, that these posts are becoming too routine, and by that I mean boring and repetitive, and are starting to lose their purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment