Letter from Leadership: Simple Joys, Lasting Meaning

“Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.”

Those are the famous words of Tevye, the main character in Fiddler on the Roof. Without giving any spoilers, I can tell you the story is about a loving family living in very uncertain times. Tevye and his family are trying to honor traditions, support their community and keep a sense of humor at a time of great change. At the end of the year when it feels like the world has been moving at the speed of light, we at GCDD feel like it’s a wonderful time to honor our own traditions and embrace our joy.

This is NOT the most natural stance for me to take. One of the great things about me is, I’m driven. One of the worst things about me is, I’m driven. When there is meaningful work to do, my instinct is to jump on it and get it done. But that crowds out a lot of beauty and meaning in the world. And there is so much of both, especially at the closing of the year.

I invite you to take a moment, take a breath and pause. What traditions give your life meaning at this time of year?

Cabbage is one for me. Simple, cooked green cabbage. My grandma Ginny would make it every December 31st. She would toss a quarter in the pot as it cooked, and whoever found the quarter in their cabbage was bound to have a lucky year.

Another tradition is the bear calendar. Does anyone else out there still have their ”DecemBear” calendar? It’s a colorful door hanging the size of a small quilt. My grandma Ann made one for me when I was about six years old. Every year, I couldn’t wait till the end of November, when we could get DecemBear out of the attic and move him from spot to spot in his house as he searched for the meaning of Christmas. (I will give you the spoiler on this one: he finds it on December 24th, surrounded by family in his living room.) DecemBear was meaningful to me because he only came out once a year. This gave me a way to appreciate each day as we moved through one of my favorite seasons of the year. DecemBear also makes me feel like I am going through the season with my extended family, even though they live far away.

I hope you connect with the people and traditions that are meaningful to you, as we close out 2025. I hope you find inspiration from some of the folks profiled in this issue, sharing what brings them joy. And whether or not you find a quarter in your cabbage, I hope 2026 is your best year yet.

D’Arcy Robb
GCDD Executive Director