The headline caught my attention as I scrolled through another repetitive and endless list of links, each vying for my coveted click. This particular one played on the "parenting" aspect of my algorithm and suggested that family rituals can grow resilient kids. I hovered over the picture of a happy family on the beach and finally tapped through to read more. The article started with the famous quote: "There are only two lasting gifts we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings." and went on to explore how "purposeful and repeated family practices" make us who we are and can buoy us in times of stress. There's been a lot of research on this topic in the last 50 years supporting this claim and I think we all experienced a certain untethering when the pandemic interrupted our daily rituals. I've thought a lot about my own roots and how their strength is a form of generational wealth passed to my child; a gift of structure, belonging, and connection. Family traditions also reinforce our shared values and experiences that unite us as a family across any distance. For example, Camp Easter each summer brings us together not only to romp in the beloved fairy garden but to give back to the farm; teaching us the value of teamwork and shared responsibility.  Our Thanksgiving  "midnight walks" and rowdy games of Pictionary teach us to trust each other (and to wear sturdy shoes). Finally, our annual Cousin Gift Exchange invites us to spend a little extra time each year recommitting to our unique cousin relationships and feeding our roots.  The land may provide the setting, but it's in these practices that we bond as a family and that may just be the real magic of the Tie Pond Meadow.