![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/41f293073b25539842d76d8d08d2106c-colleen-dewhurst-anne-shirley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1.9em” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”|15%||15%”]<\/p>\n
As a child, I was intrigued by the idea of nightly prayers. \u00a0This wasn\u2019t something I had ever done, or seen anybody do. \u00a0But I often wondered about it, and wished I knew how to do it.<\/p>\n
I first learned about nightly prayers on television. \u00a0Anne of Green Gables, to be exact.<\/p>\n
Anne Shirley, a plucky orphan with a brilliant mind and a penchant for getting in trouble, stands beside her new guardian, Marilla Cuthbert, who\u2019s not at all sure yet that she wants to keep this child the universe has dropped in her lap.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you pray, child?\u201d asks Marilla.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d says Anne. \u00a0\u201cAt the orphanage they told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I’ve never cared for him since.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marilla looks aghast. \u00a0\u201cWell, while you’re under my roof, you will say your prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly,\u201d says Anne. \u00a0\u201cHow do I do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thank the good Lord for all his blessings, and then humbly ask him for what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anne does her best to come up with a prayer, which lists all the things she most wants. \u00a0She ends it, \u201cI remain yours most respectfully, Anne Shirley. \u00a0That\u2019s Anne with an e.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marilla shakes her head disapprovingly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019d I do?\u201d Anne asks her.<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty well,\u201d says Marilla, \u201cif you were requesting a catalogue from the general store!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I remember seeing this scene as a child. \u00a0And even without understanding anything else about the context of protestantism in the late 1800s, I felt what I imagine I was supposed to feel as a viewer.<\/p>\n
Anne was coming into a life that could finally provide her with the loving structure that she as an orphan had so yearned for and needed.<\/p>\n
Bringing in a new nightly habit like this might feel awkward at first. \u00a0Like a pair of shoes that hasn\u2019t been broken in yet. \u00a0We have to walk in shoes for a while before they start to fit us right. \u00a0It takes time for a new activity to become a habit.<\/p>\n
It takes time to choose and establish the daily activities that will become family traditions.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t take up the practice of nightly prayers as a child. \u00a0I might have liked to, I think. \u00a0But in my childhood home, which was culturally Jewish, we were also atheists, so I could never quite figure out whom to address.<\/p>\n
Now, all these years later, a lot has changed.<\/p>\n
My life\u2019s path has led me through exploring many of the world\u2019s spiritual traditions, through both academic study and personal practices.<\/p>\n
Now, after many years of searching, learning, and inner work, I have come to feel a deep personal connection to divine love that is the guiding force behind all I do.<\/p>\n
As a mother, I want to help create the space for my children to also find their own sense of connection to the great love that exists in this world for them to draw on.<\/p>\n
So I\u2019ve grounded our lives in daily practices that help keep spirituality real and alive for them, and for myself.<\/p>\n
Last week, I shared one of these daily practices – mealtime blessings.<\/p>\n
Today, I want to share another gratitude practice. \u00a0It\u2019s our family\u2019s version of nighttime prayers.<\/p>\n
We do this right before bed. \u00a0The children have finished their evening romping. \u00a0Jammies are on, teeth are brushed, stories have been read, and only the nightlight is on.<\/p>\n
After all the hustle and bustle of the day, we are quiet and together.<\/p>\n
As we are all lying there in the dark, I take a moment to list all the things I\u2019m grateful for in that moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Spirit, thank you for these two precious children. \u00a0Thank you for our health. \u00a0Thank you for the sun and water. \u00a0Thank you for the dreams that will come to nourish us tonight. \u00a0Thank you for grammy and grampa, and all the strength that helps us do the things we love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peregrine, who is newly two, usually follows suit with a list of her favorite animals. \u00a0\u201cThank you for the giraffes. \u00a0Thank you for the snakes. \u00a0Thank you for the koala bears, (which she pronounces \u201cK\u2019lah.\u201d)<\/p>\n
Ember, who is newly five, is usually quietly introspective. \u00a0But if we are ever slow to get to this moment, he asks for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we do our thank yous?\u201d comes his soft voice in the dark.<\/p>\n
And when we begin, he snuggles in close and listens.<\/p>\n
It takes only a moment, but I think this is the most nourishing moment of our day.<\/p>\n
And if you are looking for ways to bring more mindful togetherness into your family life, I know no better place to begin.<\/p>\n
One note – in this, as in all things, children are best served when we don\u2019t ask them to perform. \u00a0Children at this age learn through modeling. \u00a0So don\u2019t ask them to do it, just do it yourself.<\/p>\n
And stay present with and to them while you say what is in your heart.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a sense of God or Spirit in your life, that\u2019s okay too. \u00a0You can thank life itself. \u00a0Thank the Earth. \u00a0Thank the wind. \u00a0Thank the water. \u00a0Thank whatever people or powers you can identify that have brought goodness and love into your life.<\/p>\n
It is less important whom we address, and more important that we open the space for gratitude as a practice. \u00a0Because a gratitude practice will transform you, pure and simple.<\/p>\n
Gratitude opens the door for us to notice our blessings, and in noticing, to more deeply receive them.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s more than this, too. \u00a0In establishing a daily practice like this, you are not just bringing a beautiful moment of connection to your family. \u00a0You are also opening a door for your children to join you on a path of spiritual discovery.<\/p>\n
They may not grow up thinking like you.<\/p>\n
But regardless of what they come to believe, they\u2019ll have learned from you the importance of making the space to think about it.<\/p>\n
We are all connected. \u00a0Not just to each other, but to the earth. \u00a0Not just to the earth, but to an infinite well of love and strength that is there for us to draw on.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, we just need to make a little space to remember.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta admin_label=”Call To Action” url_new_window=”off” use_background_color=”on” background_color=”#9cd8a9″ background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ saved_tabs=”all” body_font_size=”18″]<\/p>\n
If you enjoyed this post, here are a few ways to go deeper:<\/span><\/p>\n If you’re in the SF Bay Area, join us in person for:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1.9em” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”|15%||15%”] As a child, I was intrigued by the idea of nightly prayers. \u00a0This wasn\u2019t something I had ever done, or seen anybody do. \u00a0But I often wondered about it, and wished I knew how to do it. I first learned about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" I didn\u2019t grow up with the idea of a daily gratitude practice, such as saying prayers before bed. \u00a0<\/p> Still, the idea of nightly prayers intrigued me. \u00a0<\/p> I first learned about nightly prayers on television. \u00a0Anne of Green Gables, to be exact. \u00a0<\/p> Anne Shirley, a plucky orphan with a brilliant mind and a penchant for getting in trouble, stood beside her new guardian, Marilla Cuthbert, who\u2019s not at all sure yet that she wants to keep this child that the universe has dropped in her lap.<\/p> \u201cHow do I do it?\u201d asked Anne.<\/p> \u201cYou thank the good Lord for all his blessings, and then... humbly ask him for what you want.\u201d<\/p> Anne, who\u2019s been in out of orphanages until then, does her best to come up with a prayer, and her best attempt is so focused on the things she wants that Marilla shakes her head disapprovingly.<\/p> \u201cHow\u2019d I do?\u201d Anne asks her.<\/p> \u201cPretty well,\u201d says Marilla, \u201cif you were requesting a catalogue from the general store!\u201d<\/p> I remember seeing this scene as a child. \u00a0And even without understanding anything else about the context of protestantism in the late 1800s, I just felt what I imagine I was supposed to feel as a viewer. \u00a0<\/p> Anne was coming into a life that could finally provide her with the loving structure that she as an orphan had so yearned for and needed.<\/p> I didn\u2019t take up the practice of nightly prayers as a child. \u00a0I might have liked to, I think. \u00a0But in my childhood home, although we were being raised Jewish, we were also atheists, so I was never quite sure whom to address! \u00a0<\/p> Now, all these years later, a lot has changed. \u00a0<\/p> My life\u2019s path has led me through exploring many of the world\u2019s spiritual traditions, through both academic study and personal practices. \u00a0<\/p> So these days, I have come to feel a deep personal connection to divine love that is the guiding force in all I do.<\/p> And as a mother, this sense of personal grounding is one of the most important things to me to nurture in my own children.<\/p> So I\u2019ve grounded our lives in daily practices that help keep spirituality real and alive for them, and for myself.<\/p> Last week, I shared one of these daily practices - mealtime blessings.<\/p> Today, I want to share another gratitude practice. \u00a0(And this one is my favorite!)<\/p> We do this right before bed, and it\u2019s our family\u2019s version of nighttime prayers, tailored to our own earth based spirituality.<\/p> So here\u2019s the scene. \u00a0The children have finished their evening romping. \u00a0Jammies are on, teeth are brushed, stories have been read, and only the nightlight is on.<\/p> After all the hustle and bustle of the day, we are quiet and together.<\/p> I take this moment to say what I am grateful for, and my children often follow suit. \u00a0<\/p> \u201cDear Spirit, thank you for these two precious children. \u00a0Thank you for our health. \u00a0Thank you for the sun and water. \u00a0Thank you for the dreams that will come to nourish us tonight. \u00a0Thank you for all your many blessings, and for your guidance where we need it most.\u201d<\/p> Peregrine, who is newly two, usually follows suit with a list of her favorite animals. \u00a0\u201cThank you for the giraffes. \u00a0Thank you for the snakes. \u00a0Thank you for the koala bears, (which she pronounces \u201cK\u2019lah.\u201d)<\/p> Ember, who is newly five, is usually quietly introspective. \u00a0But if we are ever slow to get to this moment, he asks for it.<\/p> \u201cCan we do our thank yous?\u201d comes his soft voice in the dark.<\/p> And when we begin, he snuggles in close and listens. \u00a0<\/p> It takes only a moment, but I think this is the most nourishing moment of our day.<\/p> And if you are looking for ways to bring more mindful togetherness into your family life, I know no better place to begin.<\/p> One note - in this, as in all things, children are best served when we don\u2019t ask them to perform. \u00a0Children at this age learn through modeling. \u00a0So don\u2019t ask them to do it, just do it yourself.<\/p> And stay present with and to them while you say what is in your heart.<\/p> If you don\u2019t have a sense of God or Spirit in your life, that\u2019s okay too. \u00a0You can thank life itself. \u00a0Thank the Earth. Thank whatever people or powers you can identify that have brought goodness and love into your life.<\/p> It is less important who we address, and more important that we open the space for gratitude as a practice. \u00a0Because a gratitude practice will transform you, pure and simple.<\/p> Gratitude opens the door for us to notice our blessings, and in noticing, to more deeply receive them.<\/p> In creating a daily practice like this, you are not just bringing a beautiful moment of connection to your family. \u00a0You are also opening a door for your children to join you on a path of spiritual discovery. \u00a0<\/p> They may not grow up thinking like you.<\/p> But regardless of what they come to believe, they\u2019ll have learned from you the importance of making the space to think about it.<\/p> We are all connected. \u00a0Not just to each other, but to the earth. \u00a0Not just to the earth, but to an infinite well of love and strength that is there for us to draw on.<\/p> Sometimes, we just need to make a little space to remember.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2298"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Wherever you live, you can\u00a0download our latest\u00a0musical release<\/span><\/a> for families<\/strong>. \u00a0It’s pay what you want!<\/h3>\n
Meadowlark Music Class<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>for children and caregivers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Apple Star,<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b>our Waldorf Parent Child Class<\/b><\/h3>\n
Mothersong Chorus<\/a><\/span>, <\/strong>an\u00a0intergenerational singing circle <\/strong>for women and girls.<\/h3>\n