Traditions
There’s a special magic in returning to a place year after year.
I have had the good fortune of attending the famous Masters golf tournament twice now, and as broadcaster Jim Nance says, it really is “a tradition unlike any other.” The long-practiced customs there are what make the event so special, including the drive down Magnolia Lane, ceremonial opening tee shots by aging past champions, the beauty and challenges of A-men Corner (holes 11-12-13), and the coveted Green Jacket awarded to the winner of the Masters. In 86 years, little has changed. Walking into Augusta National Golf Club is a little like walking back in time.
The Masters is steeped in tradition. Photo courtesy masters.com.
But you don’t have to be a golfer to understand this special connection to a place.
At Manninen’s Cabins, we have had the joy of hosting some families for over 60 years! Yes, that’s three and four generations of the same family who make the annual pilgrimage to Otter Lake not just to go fishing and enjoy a relaxing vacation but also to enjoy being together.
Like all of us, these families witness changes over time, but that is the inevitability of life. Passions spark careers and marriages. Loved ones pass on. Work leads to retirement. Children grow up and have children of their own. But they share experiences and memories here that forever bind them to this place and to each other.
On this Masters Sunday, let’s remember the places and traditions that unite us and celebrate them.
Photos courtesy Irwin family, Terhi Tuominen.