ritual

I imagine humans are like floating helium balloons, and rituals the gravity pulling the strings back to earth. A sequence of activities, no matter how small, acts as an anchor in the most turbulent of storms. In our home, we read on the couch under blankets each morning, and walk in nature every afternoon. Late night hot showers and a steaming cup of tea are a beautiful bookend to even the most deflating of days. While I sip, I think of my brother, who convinced me that two tea bags are better than one. He appreciates the simplistic process of heating water and steeping herbs. Author Robin Wall Kimmerer describes ritual as ceremony; a way to express gratitude through writing, prayer or eating that becomes a practical reverence. That is what is tethering me to this heavy life: small tasks, simple decadence, and quiet beauty.