Family Portrait

CORE PRACTICE #26: Be open to exploring new or different family traditions.

Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the LORD.” —Exodus 10:8-9

TONY

We all grow up with certain family traditions. Many center around the holidays—specifically, holiday meals. Often even the kids know which aunt or cousin can be counted on to bring the sweet potato casserole or chocolate chip cheesecake. Then come the games—definitely football at Thanksgiving and maybe Monopoly or some other board game at Christmas.

No matter how we grew up—even if it wasn’t in the best of family environments—we all cling to certain traditions when we start our own families. These customs help us remember who we are and who we should be. They connect us to our roots and remind us of where we came from.

Lauren and I treasure the traditions we brought into our marriage, and we incorporated a number of them into our own family life. But we have also started some new ones, and I have to give Lauren the credit for that. One of our favorites requires the cooperation of our entire family at Christmastime.

Lauren loves Christmas for a number of reasons, the most important being that we remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But she also likes it because it started what has become an annual event for us—the Dungy family picture. When I was growing up, we never gathered for a family picture, but I was open to the idea when Lauren first brought it up. And now, it definitely qualifies as a tradition! Every year we send out a Christmas card to family and friends that is designed around a creatively arranged photograph of our entire family. And, of course, everyone has to wear matching attire.

At first it was pretty easy to arrange—Lauren simply had to coordinate the two of us. Then it became the two of us with Tiara, and then with Jamie. But as our family has grown to nine children and as our older kids have moved to different parts of the country, getting everyone together has been a little harder. (Also finding an outfit for twenty-something Tiara that will match what baby Jaden will wear can be really difficult.)

But somehow, Lauren always manages to pull it off. And our entire family has come to expect that we will have that holiday picture taken—all of us smiling and looking at the camera the moment the baby is not crying. In fact, we see it as just another one of the many miracles of Christmas! Our friends tell us they look forward to getting the Dungy Christmas card each year, and I personally hear a lot of compliments on how great the photo is—even with me in the picture.

Adventure Application: What Christmas traditions do you and your family particularly enjoy? If nothing comes to mind, poll your family and come up with something you could do together as an enjoyable way to celebrate the meaning of Christmas. Family Life has compiled a list that might spark some ideas. See http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/holidays/featured/christmas/10-great-ideas-for-christmas-traditions.