Praying every day is not something that comes naturally to me. I didn't grow up with the concept or the practice and as an adult, I have had to gradually get used to the idea of praying. Doing something by rote can make forming a habit easier. Judaism has a set liturgy of prayers that are specific for times of day, events, and holidays. Within each category, the language varies but the concepts remain the same. One of the practices is to start each "event" or happening with a prayer of thankfulness. The idea, I think, is that even the smallest thing is something that can be sacred. I have read of a similar idea that Christians (or anyone else) can practice. A review at the end of the day can include a list of things that a person is thankful for. The bottom line in all of the above is a recognition of the "specialness" of the everyday things. Here is my list from Sunday:
* waking up in my own home with my husband and cats
* time with my husband on a walk at our local lake
* peace and quiet during the day; time to think and consider
* three meals with enough to eat; me preparing food for my husband-doing something to help him be comfortable
* positive interactions with people at the grocery store and fruit stand-I hope I was kind and present for them
* the freedom to pick and choose what I wanted to do
* correspondence with "friends" on the Internet-again, I hope that I was kind and present
A review like this is something everyone can try. I wanted to look for things that helped other people in some way and weren't centered on myself so much. I hope I found a good mix:)
Libby
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