Fiddler on the Roof Ah yes, Labor Day brings the annual Greek picnic to my church.  What started out 88 years ago as a typical church picnic with game booths, pony rides, and food and drink for the parishioners has grown into a full blown money making festival that attracts thousands of St. Louisans to the mid-city.  People eagerly await the Labor Day weekend when they can attend the festival and devour Greek food and pastries, listen to music in the taverna, watch the Greek folk dancers, visit with family and friends, and be Greek for the day.  It’s a tradition, 88 years and counting.  Tradition: a long established custom or belief, often one that has been handed down from generation to generation.  As Tevye said: “A fiddler on the roof.  Sounds crazy, no?  But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck.  It isn’t easy.  You may ask ‘Why do we stay up there if it’s so dangerous?’  Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home.  And how do we keep our balance?  That I can tell you in one word: tradition!” So what does tradition bring into our lives? • It creates consistency in an ever-changing world.  We can rely on these customs to be there for us and we can look forward to the joy they bring into our lives. • It increases our commitment to our values, and the honoring of them in our daily activities. • It strengthens the ability we have to hold onto our beliefs. • Tradition touches our hearts and brings us that “feel good feeling”.  It’s that warm and fuzzy happiness. • It brings us closer to our loved ones. • It conveys the message that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.  It brings about the feeling that we belong. • It leads to a sense of purpose. Think about it, tradition plays out in both our personal and professional lives. Look at those that take place in your arena: the family gatherings, reunions, and picnics, the wedding and birthday customs, the holidays, and the particular quirks that are a treasured part of your life.  In business, what are your traditions?  Possibilities include: annual get-togethers for employees and clients/customers/patients, thank you gifts or cards to show appreciation to your customer base, the fund-raisers and charity benefits you partake in, and the annual holiday party, to name a few. Yes, tradition brings balance and happiness into our lives.  Which traditions can you hold on to that bring you the most joy?

“What an enormous magnifier is tradition!  How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination, when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart, is there to encourage it.”  Thomas Carlyle “A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril.”  Winston Churchill “When you tell a story you automatically talk about traditions, but they’re never separate from the people, the human implications.  You’re talking about your connections as a human being.”  Gayl Jones

In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, Teyve tries to preserve his family’s traditions in the face of a changing world.  Its message is as pertinent today as it was then.  I look back with fondness at many of the traditions shared with my grandparents and parents and how they strengthened our family unit and brought much joy and happiness into my life.  But, the world has changed and many of our cherished customs have long been displaced.  We’re too busy, our families are scattered or they are squabbling, we’re working too hard and too long, and/or we just don’t have the time to make new traditions.  I challenge you to open your heart to tradition and experience that “feel good feeling” that so often accompanies it. As I enjoyed the annual picnic, I found myself again thinking about the victims of Hurricane Katrina whose many traditions have been washed away.  Sitting in the comfort of my home I watch the devastation that has occurred in the South and the toll it has taken on so many people.  I see their despair and their suffering.  Many have lost everything and will be starting anew.  I send my prayers.  May they create new traditions to bring joy back into their lives.