Forget the word “religion” for a moment.

I want to know what rituals hold your life together? Do you light a candle when dining with a special person? Is there a song you turn to at times that are joyful or sad?

Does anything in your life fill you with so much reverence that you set it aside and refuse to use it for mundane purposes? Is there an ultimate value you are giving your life to?

Do you ever find yourself muttering a silent “thank you” to whatever it is that brings us all into being?

Do you ever feel yourself to be a wave in a lager ocean? Do you sometimes experience animals and plants as your extended family? Do you have a desire to share your life with others as an art form? Do you find yourself wanting to celebrate with the parents of a baby that has just been born or to sit with the bereaved at times of death? Does any part of you feel called to sit with the children and help them find their way as they begin their life’s journey?

It is not necessary to use the word “religion,” but how are you celebrating your life as an art? It is not necessary to use the word “God” but are you aware and grateful for the gift of being? It is not necessary to go to church or temple, but how do we share life’s journey with others so that none of us has to walk through life alone?