The Value of Rituals

Rituals can serve many positive purposes in today's busy world. For me, the most important thing about rituals is the grounding effect they have on my life. When you're so busy that you can barely remember everything you have to do, good rituals are comforting and stabilizing. Even simple, mundane rituals like showering or brushing your teeth or combing your hair have an important effect, beyond just making it so that people don't faint as you walk in their direction, important though that be. Personally I wouldn't feel properly ready for the day to begin if I didn't do those daily activities. I would be off balance all day and feel unprepared. Less common rituals also have a pleasant affect on us. I always look forward to the rituals of holidays, family vacations, and even weekends. Saturday night movie nights are always a nice change after a long week.
One ritual in particular that I have is to every morning and evening (and sometimes in between) make myself a hot beverage of some kind or another. I'm pretty broad in what I like--- I drink coffee, numerous forms and flavors of cappuccino and mocha, chai tea, green, white, and black tea of many different flavours, hot chocolate, and hot cider when I can get it. My closet could very easily be mistaken for some kind of bulk drink mix store.
I am very fond of my morning and evening hot drinks. I feel better in the morning after I've had a chance to just sit quietly for a while with a book or my computer, sipping a drink and at night I'm usually found balancing school work with a steaming cup of something in one hand. There is something so comforting and settling about slowly sipping something hot, and I think I even feel relaxed just making the drinks, since sometimes I make them and get distracted doing something and forget to actually drink them.
I can't picture myself quitting this ritual any time soon, and I don't think it's a bad habit for the future. It's good to have something to relax us after (or before) a busy day and, in spite of the exorbitant number of cups I wash, I intend to continue the habit.