Today is the Summer Solstice. We woke up ready to celebrate the summer sun.
What better way to pay homage to the sunshine we are so warmed and energized by than to visit the beach? We threw on our suits and were out the door. Our dear friend Rose and her monkeys met us there, and her sentiments echo the thoughts I'm trying so hard to suppress today. The water was clear and sweet and we celebrated it fully. 
Like little drops of sunshine, these mahoe flowers were everywhere on the sand near our blanket.
We collected several of them, along with some shells and seaweed, and brought them home to add to our beach pebble, making a lovely palette for our solstice spiral: a nature devotional to the sun.
Later this afternoon, Big B and little b revisited our beach collection and made gorgeous vignette compositions on solar print paper. They were most pleased with the results! We'll be doing a lot of these this summer--a very gratifying project.
As the year's longest day came to a close, we read some of our new library books. This adaptation of the classic Canticle of the Sun was a perfect way to end our solstice celebration, and a reminder for us to give thanks and praise and act with respect and kindness toward the systems that sustain us. This is not optional. As Chief Seattle said so wisely: "Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." 
Lord, we offer thanks and praise
For the circle of our days.
Praise for radiant brother sun,
Who makes the hours around us run.
For sister moon, and for the stars,
Brilliant, precious, always ours.
Praise for brothers wind and air,
Serene or cloudy, foul or fair.
For sister water, clear and chaste,
Useful, humble, good to taste.
For fire, our brother, strong and bright,
Whose joy illuminates the night.
Praise for our sister, mother earth,
Who cares for each of us from birth.
For all her children, fierce or mild,
For sister, brother, parent, child.
For creatures wild, and creatures tame,
For hunter, hunted, both the same.
For brother sleep, and sister death,
Who tend the borders of our breath.
For desert, orchard, rock, and tree,
For forest, meadow, mountain, sea,
For fruit and flower, plant and bush,
For morning robin, evening thrush.
For all your gifts, of every kind,
We offer praise with quiet mind.
Be with us, Lord, and guide our ways
Around the circle of our days.
For the circle of our days.
Praise for radiant brother sun,
Who makes the hours around us run.
For sister moon, and for the stars,
Brilliant, precious, always ours.
Praise for brothers wind and air,
Serene or cloudy, foul or fair.
For sister water, clear and chaste,
Useful, humble, good to taste.
For fire, our brother, strong and bright,
Whose joy illuminates the night.
Praise for our sister, mother earth,
Who cares for each of us from birth.
For all her children, fierce or mild,
For sister, brother, parent, child.
For creatures wild, and creatures tame,
For hunter, hunted, both the same.
For brother sleep, and sister death,
Who tend the borders of our breath.
For desert, orchard, rock, and tree,
For forest, meadow, mountain, sea,
For fruit and flower, plant and bush,
For morning robin, evening thrush.
For all your gifts, of every kind,
We offer praise with quiet mind.
Be with us, Lord, and guide our ways
Around the circle of our days.
What a wonderful celebration, your rock spiral looks great!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad for that beach day yesterday. It was perfect. Love that spiral. It's so pretty!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a perfect Summer day. I love the nature devotionals and solar prints. We would have liked to join you at the beach - feeling the need to be there a lot right now too.
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