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Many people have altars in their homes, altars of all kinds. Some have family photos displayed on a piano. Some have bowls of colorful rocks from their travels or local hikes. Some have bells or singing bowls. Some have favorite trees or a spot by a stream, which serve as places of sanctuary.
In my living room, I created a corner of serenity. A low Japanese tansu chest covered by a black silk obI purchased in Japan, embroidered with silver clouds and orange blossoms. On the tansu, I placed a live orchid with eight velvety, voluptuous, magenta flowers—a mini homage to Georgia O’Keeffe. It arched on a slender green stem, bowing toward three tall copper candlesticks, burnished brown from age, yet modern works of art. Above the tansu was a Japanese woodblock print of a blue bamboo grove. While I didn’t sit in front of this “altar” to meditate, every time I looked at it, I felt a sense of peace and beauty.
Consider what you’d collect if you were to go outside and create an altar for your day. Perhaps live elements of nature, such as flowers or grasses. Maybe a dry leaf or bird feather to reflect on the seasons of your life, a hearty weed that has a message, or a twig that appears as a symbol. Perhaps a stone with a rounded shape or one that is sharp and striated will draw you.
We had no altars in our home when I was growing up. But looking back, my mother had a daily ritual. She awoke before the rest of us, had her coffee and read the paper in that quiet time before she had to take the command post and get us off to school. Then, a widow, in a childless home, she had a different ritual. Every morning she went to a local coffee shop for coffee, a toasted bagel, and the New York Times.
While COVID-19 can make going to a coffee shop hard or impossible, think about the rituals that enhance your day. Rituals can be comforting and give you structure. Your ritual may seem mundane—awaken, take a cup of coffee back to bed, read, meditate, ring a bell. But it centers you to begin your day.
Writing prompt: What is your morning ritual? How does it make you feel?
Copyright © 2020 by Laura Deutsch
