Tradition

The Queen of England died yesterday, 8 September 2022. She was 96 years old and had been Queen for 72 years. I read and watch the various reactions to her, her role and her passing with interest. Many find the role of the royal family of great value, but many do not, believing it to be anachronistic and irrelevant. The royals do not govern, and have little constitutional power. They also command great wealth, which always gets hackles up from some.

I am a bit philosophical about this. I have learned to value tradition. I think back to my time in college. I went to Dartmouth College, a school with many traditions. I grew to love this. I am now in my 60s and have four children. We have our own traditions. My wife makes a big deal out of Christmas and the holiday is filled with family traditions, even throwing “reindeer dust” around the yard so that Santa is sure to find us. We put the windows down in the car whenever we cross the causeway to Deer Isle, so we can smell the wonderful sea air.

I don’t know that I can explain why traditions are of value or why I value them…but I do. Maybe it is just a simple way to bind us together. Our family are bound in small ways by these traditions. I imagine the British people (and many others) are bound together by the traditions carried on through the royal family. That’s pretty cool, actually.