by Steven Koch

Created on: January 25, 2010

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all have rituals in our daily lives. We have our alarm clocks set for a certain time. The order in which we go through our morning routine before going to work or getting the kids ready for school is set. We don’t even have to think about the steps we need to take in the morning and for the millions of people who can’t function without that first cup of coffee that is a blessing.

Our rituals vary from the weekdays to the weekends and we have different routines for them. Our rituals are the guidelines that lead us through life. Within each day outside of the home, there may be different rituals either on the job or in our house of worship. They are all familiar and give us comfort and order to our lives.

If something happens to disturb that rational order of life, it throws off the entire day. A sick child wakes up in the middle of the night and suddenly everything you do is in reaction to the events as they come at you. You will deal with it as best you can, but it doesn’t feel right. Until your routine resumes the next morning, you don’t feel as if you are in control.

It is that sense of control that we need in order to survive in this chaotic world. We also know there is little that we can do to control our lives once we leave the safe confines of our homes. Once on the job, the boss can throw new demands at you that are due by the end of the day, destroying your dreams of all the tasks and reports you were going to complete that day. You can feel your stress level rise as you now have to react to the boss’ demands as well as the phone calls that come in with their own “need it now” emergencies. While you are running around putting out these other “fires”, the boss’ five o’clock deadline looms over your head. You look up and can’t believe it is now after two in the afternoon and you never stopped for lunch. Finally the tasks are done and the day is over. You are ready to head home. You think of all the things you are going to do tomorrow as you try to catch up from the madness of the day just ended.

When you arrive home, dinner may be ready, or you may have to prepare it, but the evening ritual begins to set in. Have dinner, help the kids with their homework, maybe read a book for a while or watch some TV and then get ready for bed. This is the downtime you have been secretly yearning since your boss first stopped by your desk that morning. You are in control now. Your life is again in balance and ordered. You feel at peace and the stresses of the day begin to fade. You switch on the alarm clock and try not to think of the day to come when you will have to do it all over again.

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