“The first altar around which primitive people worshipped was the hearth, whose open-fire burned in the center of the home. The next altar-shrine was the family table where meals were celebrated and great events in the personal history of the family were remembered. The priest and priestessess of these first rituals were the fathers and mothers of families…Each home had a shrine, its special sacred spot, where family members gathered in times of trouble and in times of rejoicing and in remembering, there to bless their God with song and praise.” Prayers for the Domestic Church, Edward Hays (via Circle of Grace: Praying with and For your Children, Gregory and Suzanne Wolfe)

Did I mentione that we have a shrine? our crew made it together and one of our artists, Neil, finished it up for us. It’s a collage inside an old dresser drawer. It sits up on end on our table, ringed in red Christmas lights. We prop stuff up inside. Candles, flowers from our walks around the block, rocks with religious words, a bowl for our offerings. Mike made us a cross of metal pipes and chains. My girls fill it with daisies.

We celebrate around this shrine. Our main place of worship is our family table.

We be primitative people.

Me like it.