Stephanie, what a wonderful post—hopeful and full of truth. I’m thinking of one such altar I have and then another and another, ways I’ve found to honor memories of the sea, the exhibetance of orchids, memories of that breathtaking time immersed in child rearing. I love that Thank You that you’ve made part of life. A two-word prayer in the morning. I will adopt it. Two powerful words to whisper as you awaken. Thank you, dear Stephanie.
Thanks for your kind response, Marlena. I always love connecting with you. Aren't the spontaneous altars in our lives amazing? And thank you -- may that always be our two word prayer. Biggest of hugs my friend.
I want to begin my comment with a thank you of my own: thank you for this magnificent essay! Your altar with the Buddha is so beautiful and meaningful. Your serenity regarding this altar and your rituals is palpable in this lovely, powerful essay.
I love learning from you. You help me think of ideas I otherwise would not have thought of. I admit, I have a history of taking my rituals for granted. Start the morning with coffee and journaling, feed the cat, and brush the cat (he's a Himalayan and needs to be brushed every day!). Sometimes I wince, thinking about my rituals, but you've shed light on the fact that we should appreciate our rituals, for they have an innate value to us.
I think I will say "thank you" more to the universe -- not just for being alive, but for the rituals I have, and all that I have. Ritual is important, not just in the organized religion sense, but for all of us. Rituals give us a sense of comfort and the familiar.
Thank you for this wonderful essay. I so appreciate you dear friend.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Beth. There is something life affirming about coffee, journaling, and feeding and brushing the cat -- every day. And I love that these little life affirmations are all around us, all of the time. Especially important right now, given the fear and anxiety in the country. I'm curious have you ever made a painting of your cat? Big hugs.
Yes, I have painted Oliver and gave that painting to my vet, who had rescued him and given him to my daughter and me. The painting was to say "thank you." To see that picture, plus another one (a draft at this point), feel free to visit https://bethlgainer.substack.com/p/changing-of-the-guard
I felt a spurt of joy upon reading this and I looked around my bedroom/writing room and noticed my own altars, which I have been taking for granted, and my slight disdain of my own morning "routines". Now I have a new, yummy name for them, "rituals". Somehow that made them special and to be done mindfully rather than like an old lady bitching about what she has to do today.Thank you for this gift.
Once you start seeing them, it's hard not to notice that they fill spaces everywhere. New meaning for that stuff we've hung onto, like sea shells and stones from the garden. And routines that can sparkle is we remember that they really do -- love the sound of the kettle in the morning letting me know that the water for tea is ready. How amazing.
Thank you, Camilla. A far cry from the altars of our theology school days, yes? Sending you biggest hugs and much appreciation for the stories you write and the space you hold for others. Big hugs.
They're everywhere. Susan T. from our WIP group sent me a picture of a rainbow this morning. The caption read, "Nature's spontaneous altar." I'll bet you have a few altars around your house too. Big hugs.
I just love this Stephanie! It helped me see that I, too, am an altar maker both at home and in my studio and never realized it. At the studio, there's ritual attached too. This make me very happy to have a new knowing around being centered and talking care of myself.
As I was reading this wonderful essay, I felt a sense of calm. Remarkable. Your kitchen countertop altar is lovely, and I completely understand how it offers you "a quiet homage to serenity, a collection of objects that reflects back to me a sense of peace." Love that.
I hadn't really thought about the meaning of the word altar. I guess I have always thought of it in the context of a church or religion. Thinking about creating our own altars that have special meaning and bring us a sense of peace is a whole new interpretation. I've actually been doing this for years whenever I've created little displays or arrangements around my home that have special meaning.
I love the subtitle of your essay because small rituals can be so meaningful. That old saying - "it's the little things" is so true. Small rituals bring continuity and calmness to our busy lives.
By the way, I am going to adopt your small ritual of saying thank you each morning before I get out of bed. What a wonderful way to start each day. Thank you for the lovely piece and happy Thanksgiving.
"That old saying - "it's the little things" is so true. Small rituals bring continuity and calmness to our busy lives." Especially in these times, right? Happiest of Thanksgivings, Nancy . . . I wonder what little altars will pop up around your holiday table . . . or maybe the whole table will be a lifting up of sorts. Here's to keeping our spirits and our intentions high. Big hugs.
I Love this: "a quiet homage to serenity, a collection of objects that reflects back to me a sense of peace. It offers a gentle reminder, like a nod from the universe, that beauty and stillness can be found in the most ordinary moments."
May we our small rituals and our spontaneous altars continue to reflect the serenity of our souls during these challenging times. Biggest of hugs, my friend.
Hi Stephanie, I love this piece. I have altars everywhere. My children also create their own. I love the gratitude ritual, however for me, it comes at the end of the night when I lay down in my bed sometimes by myself sometimes with my children and our dog, but whether with or without there is always a thank you thank you
Hopefully for another day, well lived that is my prayer
Oh this is like candy for my soul. As read this, Stephanie, I felt you and I and the readers were walking together in our “alter adorned” spaces ~ silently, respectfully, joyfully, with wonder and curiosity - taking in, being baptized in the presence of each one. Then we all grabbed a cup of tea and sat in a big circle, each listening to the other speak of our alters, their significance, and how they infuse our days with meaning. I love this day dream I’m having. ❤️
Stephanie, what a wonderful post—hopeful and full of truth. I’m thinking of one such altar I have and then another and another, ways I’ve found to honor memories of the sea, the exhibetance of orchids, memories of that breathtaking time immersed in child rearing. I love that Thank You that you’ve made part of life. A two-word prayer in the morning. I will adopt it. Two powerful words to whisper as you awaken. Thank you, dear Stephanie.
Thanks for your kind response, Marlena. I always love connecting with you. Aren't the spontaneous altars in our lives amazing? And thank you -- may that always be our two word prayer. Biggest of hugs my friend.
Hi Stephanie,
I want to begin my comment with a thank you of my own: thank you for this magnificent essay! Your altar with the Buddha is so beautiful and meaningful. Your serenity regarding this altar and your rituals is palpable in this lovely, powerful essay.
I love learning from you. You help me think of ideas I otherwise would not have thought of. I admit, I have a history of taking my rituals for granted. Start the morning with coffee and journaling, feed the cat, and brush the cat (he's a Himalayan and needs to be brushed every day!). Sometimes I wince, thinking about my rituals, but you've shed light on the fact that we should appreciate our rituals, for they have an innate value to us.
I think I will say "thank you" more to the universe -- not just for being alive, but for the rituals I have, and all that I have. Ritual is important, not just in the organized religion sense, but for all of us. Rituals give us a sense of comfort and the familiar.
Thank you for this wonderful essay. I so appreciate you dear friend.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Beth. There is something life affirming about coffee, journaling, and feeding and brushing the cat -- every day. And I love that these little life affirmations are all around us, all of the time. Especially important right now, given the fear and anxiety in the country. I'm curious have you ever made a painting of your cat? Big hugs.
Yes, I have painted Oliver and gave that painting to my vet, who had rescued him and given him to my daughter and me. The painting was to say "thank you." To see that picture, plus another one (a draft at this point), feel free to visit https://bethlgainer.substack.com/p/changing-of-the-guard
Oh thank you so much for giving me a link to see Oliver! I just loved meeting him. Please give him a little scratch behind the ears for me.
I felt a spurt of joy upon reading this and I looked around my bedroom/writing room and noticed my own altars, which I have been taking for granted, and my slight disdain of my own morning "routines". Now I have a new, yummy name for them, "rituals". Somehow that made them special and to be done mindfully rather than like an old lady bitching about what she has to do today.Thank you for this gift.
Once you start seeing them, it's hard not to notice that they fill spaces everywhere. New meaning for that stuff we've hung onto, like sea shells and stones from the garden. And routines that can sparkle is we remember that they really do -- love the sound of the kettle in the morning letting me know that the water for tea is ready. How amazing.
Love this piece Stephanie and have re-stacked several different quotes. Gratitude for your writing❤️🙏🕊️
Thank you, Camilla. A far cry from the altars of our theology school days, yes? Sending you biggest hugs and much appreciation for the stories you write and the space you hold for others. Big hugs.
A lovely reminder to look for the sacred in the midst of everyday life. Thank you, Stephanie.
Look and it's there . . . the extraordinary sparkling within the folds of ordinary. Big hugs.
I like the idea not only of creating altars, but also of realizing that they have spontaneously emerged from your placement of objects.
They're everywhere. Susan T. from our WIP group sent me a picture of a rainbow this morning. The caption read, "Nature's spontaneous altar." I'll bet you have a few altars around your house too. Big hugs.
I just love this Stephanie! It helped me see that I, too, am an altar maker both at home and in my studio and never realized it. At the studio, there's ritual attached too. This make me very happy to have a new knowing around being centered and talking care of myself.
Your comment made me smile. Thank you. Here's to altars and rituals and lives full of meaning! Big hugs.
Hi Stephanie,
As I was reading this wonderful essay, I felt a sense of calm. Remarkable. Your kitchen countertop altar is lovely, and I completely understand how it offers you "a quiet homage to serenity, a collection of objects that reflects back to me a sense of peace." Love that.
I hadn't really thought about the meaning of the word altar. I guess I have always thought of it in the context of a church or religion. Thinking about creating our own altars that have special meaning and bring us a sense of peace is a whole new interpretation. I've actually been doing this for years whenever I've created little displays or arrangements around my home that have special meaning.
I love the subtitle of your essay because small rituals can be so meaningful. That old saying - "it's the little things" is so true. Small rituals bring continuity and calmness to our busy lives.
By the way, I am going to adopt your small ritual of saying thank you each morning before I get out of bed. What a wonderful way to start each day. Thank you for the lovely piece and happy Thanksgiving.
"That old saying - "it's the little things" is so true. Small rituals bring continuity and calmness to our busy lives." Especially in these times, right? Happiest of Thanksgivings, Nancy . . . I wonder what little altars will pop up around your holiday table . . . or maybe the whole table will be a lifting up of sorts. Here's to keeping our spirits and our intentions high. Big hugs.
I Love this: "a quiet homage to serenity, a collection of objects that reflects back to me a sense of peace. It offers a gentle reminder, like a nod from the universe, that beauty and stillness can be found in the most ordinary moments."
You have just centered my day. Again.
May we our small rituals and our spontaneous altars continue to reflect the serenity of our souls during these challenging times. Biggest of hugs, my friend.
This was wonderful. I’m going to go look for a little alters in my house right now.💕
May you find many . . . Sending love hugs and goodwill.
Right back at you, Stefanie!💕
Hi Stephanie, I love this piece. I have altars everywhere. My children also create their own. I love the gratitude ritual, however for me, it comes at the end of the night when I lay down in my bed sometimes by myself sometimes with my children and our dog, but whether with or without there is always a thank you thank you
Hopefully for another day, well lived that is my prayer
Thank you for this
Thank you for Prajna! May we all live our lives as if a prayer . . .
Biggest of hugs.
Lovely! And same here.
Wonderful! Thank you, Kert. Big hugs.
Oh this is like candy for my soul. As read this, Stephanie, I felt you and I and the readers were walking together in our “alter adorned” spaces ~ silently, respectfully, joyfully, with wonder and curiosity - taking in, being baptized in the presence of each one. Then we all grabbed a cup of tea and sat in a big circle, each listening to the other speak of our alters, their significance, and how they infuse our days with meaning. I love this day dream I’m having. ❤️