Tell Me Why

There are those that love tradition. I can appreciate that, but for the longest time, I have wondered why I do not love tradition. My Dutch Mom quite liked tradition, such as making “Ollie Bollen”, a type of dried fruit donut, fried and rolled in powdered sugar to celebrate every New Year. I always wondered why I felt averse to making them for my own children growing up, along with our other childhood traditions. I recently realized that the very idea of practicing traditions has always caused me to feel bogged down. Tied to the past in a way that I did seem to mind. As a girl, I also used to bristle with annoyance when we were told to do something some way and I would ask “But why? Why do we need to do it this way? Why can’t we do it this other way?” I would invariably get the response “Because, it is always done this way, so do it”. Then I would have to suffocate my frustration. Because of how many times I asked “Why?”, I got a book for Christmas in my 8th year, called “Tell Me Why”. Not too long ago, I was inspired to buy the book for my grandchildren. I found it available only on a used book online site, as it has long been out of print. I guess I am the tiniest bit nostalgic, since I wished to share a little bit of the girl I was, with them.  

I have since come to appreciate that I question many things. To continuously adjust and question my trajectory through life. I am rather terrified of the idea of “No change, being in a static state…or stuck”. I feel that I must be in a state of evolving and changing and challenging myself about where I am now. This is not dissatisfaction, but wanting to grow and learn. I cannot grow and learn if I accept that I am at a status quo, that I have nothing left to learn. No indeed the more I do learn, the more I am aware of how much more there is to learn. Embracing change is to open up opportunities not heretofore seen, it’s being in a fluid state without static boundaries and it is living in this moment. It enhances creativity and the possibilities. It’s freedom. It’s “I can”.