Traditions never grow old.

That’s why Convo (unintentionally) broke the heart of nearly every Ashland student when it temporarily left us searching Hot Bar and hitting up old haunts like the cereal station due to the loss of Grilled Cheese Friday.

That’s why “The Wizard of Oz” is shown every year after Thanksgiving. In the fashion of a classic “I walked uphill in the snow both ways…” story, my mom recalled this year the fond memory of waiting for that magical moment when everyone’s favorite fantasy movie would light up the TV once again with sparkling ruby slippers and a bright yellow-brick-road. At the time, it was magical not just because the movie is amazing but because that was the only way to watch it, since VCRs were extremely primitive and DVDs weren’t even a thought yet.

So why now – when we have huge DVD collections, Netflix and the ability to stream movies online – would anyone wait around to watch a movie on TV?

It’s tradition, and we love it.

That’s why I put the same Christmas CDs on repeat year after year – because they’re part of my personal Christmas tradition and I love them.

Sure, my heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t stop grinning when my friend Geren Lewis gave me a copy of the “Glee” Christmas CD (Oh yes, she earns a mention in The Collegian for that). But it could never truly replace all of the old classics that I’ve listened to since I was little.

I’m a big believer in the song lyric I sang as a Brownie Girl Scout when I was little: “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.”

I enjoy discovering new things and experiencing new adventures as I grow older, but nothing could stop me from being loyal to my old favorites, too. I taste-test and fall in love with more and more coffee drinks each year, but hot cocoa will forever be my friend.

The value of traditions is the comfort they bring. They remind you of a time when the world was simpler and life was easier.

I like to think of myself as an optimist and I prefer to look for the silver-lining. Maybe that’s why I love snow as much as I do; every crystal shines and it provides a literal silver-lining for an otherwise imperfect world.

Life can be difficult and sometimes it throws tragedy your way when you least expect it, but if it’s snowing outside and your favorite Christmas song is on replay while you drink smooth, creamy hot cocoa from your favorite old mug, you can smile as you warm yourself up and prepare for whatever comes next.

Or, for a timelier example, you can eat a toasty grilled cheese with a hot bowl of creamy tomato soup to rejuvenate yourself in time for that next final.