A Day of Finding the Sacred

Today, Saturday morning. I had a truly restfull nights' sleep starting about 7:30 pm yesterday evening. So at 6:15 am my eyes began to open and I decided to get up and start the coffee. My favorite part of the day is in the early morning, before everyone gets out of bed.

I had nearly an hour to myself and I opened my Kindle and started to read another portion of a letter written by Rainer Maria Rilke, a well-known poet from the early 1900's. Here's the portion that stuck with me: "It is, after all, one strength within the human with which we achieve everything, a single steadfastness and pure direction of the heart. Whoever possesses that strength ought not to lose himself to fear."

My day of sacredness started from that point as my brother joined me on the porch and we shared coffee and conversation and the ease of just being together, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Eventually Coley joined us and she and I shared our daily devotional together. (Each moment of this day has unfolded with the greatest of ease.)

Here's another ritual everyone gets to partake of, the slathering on of the sunscreen. Here Jeff is getting ready for his first excursion to the beach. Don't want to get too red too fast.

Before they left for the beach, I told them I would be creating a ceremony to honor my ex-husband who departed on Friday, the 28th of January and my dear friend, Donna Hess, who also transitioned on Monday, January 31st. So I got out my new candle, my sister Jenny sent for my birthday. This was the first time I've lit it. The candle jar has a beautiful heart on the front and I brought in a heart rock Coley found and added the tealight candle burner, my sister Sandy gave me for my birthday. I started the ceremony at 1:45 pm. with a beautiful piece of music called, Faery Ring by Mike Rowland. At 2pm I began chanting the Gayatri Mantra. For the entire hour, I lost myself in the chant, the memories, the emotions of loss and love and the imagery of concentric circles created by the connections we have to so many people and whose love surrounds me, but also surrounds all those I love. Coley and Jeff returned just as I put on the last song, "You are Not Alone". It was so perfect being here by myself to honor and to remember these two people who each hold a place in my heart.

Finally, I had put a pot of spaghetti sauce on to cook about 1pm. While it was still simmering, we all put on our bathing suits and went to play frisbee in the pool. While we were playing, our little buddies, Joshua, about 10 and Dylan, about 6, came over and joined us. We were laughing and playing and having such a great time. Played for about 2 hours. By 5pm, our "gravy" was ready to eat. When you cook the sauce all day, it becomes thick and tasty and that's just what we had, along with some pesto butter grilled toast. Molto bene!!!!

So, give yourself some time to bring in the sacred. Take the time to light a candle, to sing a song, to chant a chant, to offer up a prayer, to do something to bring the majic into the moment. And it's also a time for being in your heart. I hope you each felt my hug today!!!!