It is important to have practices to keep us grounded to the Earth, connected to the Divine, and centered in our hearts. One of my favorite practices is this little morning ritual I have. After putting the water on to heat for my French press coffee, I take a pinch of dried lavender petals in my hand, step out onto my balcony, and greet the day with an offering of gratitude.
I express gratitude for my life, the new day, the earth, the sun, the sky, the wind, the rain, the birds chattering in the trees below me, the homes I see and the families who live there, the river, the colors that enliven my world, my home, the people I love, for the myriad of blessings of the day. And I ask that I may be a blessing to the world, to those I meet, to those I love, to myself.
I blow all these prayers into the lavender buds, and release them to the wind to carry them off. This morning, before I could blow them off my palm and out into the world, the eager wind came and took them from me. As I watched my prayers take off, I looked up to see this Cloud Guardian watching over me.
