Rituals

My first thought, being non-religious, was nope. We don’t do rituals. I tend to think of them as parts of the experience of religion which doesn’t really have a part in my life. Yes, I have a Christmas tree so I suppose that qualifies but it doesn’t feel ritualistic in my head.

But, trying to think beyond that, I started searching for quotes and found one that spoke to me about both myself and my relationship with Snake.

My daily rituals tend to be me time. I tend to shut off all noise and listen to the silence all day. It makes me feel calm and allows me to think. I try to get in 7500 steps per day. I try to get my weight lifting done three times a week. I read. I play games online. These are my time to recharge and be the person I want to be for the important people in my life.

Snake and I certainly have small daily rituals. He gets my tea ready while I am in the shower. We exchange pictures every morning. We reset when he comes home from work with messages to each other. He gets my bath ready and brings me coffee while I am there. We snuggle in the same position every night when we go to bed.

To me, they aren’t rituals because they are life. It is how we express to each other that we are connected and present in our relationship. But, maybe that is what is important.

We plan date nights weekly. They might simply be time to watch TV and snuggle on the couch. They might be going out and talking about anything and everything. It is dedicated time for us to focus on our relationship and each other.

We try to get away somewhere a couple of times a year. This week we are in Las Vegas. It is our place because it was our honeymoon spot and the first place we really traveled together in college. We will likely walk 10 or 15 miles each day, wandering in and out of casinos, trying different restaurants, listening to music, attending a show and watching people. We will sleep late, stay up late and laugh and talk and hold hands. Kiss. Just be.

So, for me, truly, our life is our ceremony. We can’t keep the problems and noise of the world completely silent, but we can use the gift of us to make it a beautiful one.