My Brother's Birthday and My Friend Desi's Blog!!

These two topics have nothing to do with one another except that they are both prominent thoughts in my head this morning.

My brother is 51 years old today.  I think it is the first sober birthday he will experience so far in adulthood.  He has been clean and sober for just over 3 months.  The World is a much more peaceful place for me when I know he isn't out there destroying himself and others.  Yay Mikel.  You are one of my heroes.

Desiree is my good Friend Pat's daughter.  She began writing a blog a week or so ago.  It is looking great!!  It helps that she got a new laptop.  I bet it makes Blogging lotsa fun..

We are going over to the sweat lodge today so my guy can prepare the fire for a sweat we are having tomorrow.  The fire needs to burn hot for a couple of hours in order to heat up the Grandfathers, rocks that are gathered from the beach, that represent the spirits that are prayed too.

It is hot and dark and sweaty inside the lodge.  Red hot rocks (Grandfathers), are brought in one by one by the FireKeeper, the person designated to tend to the fire.

There are four rounds.  Each round is from 20 to 45 minutes long.

 Each round has a purpose.  We pray for Mother Earth, for the Planet, for all creatures on the Planet.  We pray for all of our brothers and sisters that are struggling.  We can pray aloud or in silence.

Lastly we pray for ourselves. 

When the sweat is completed we pass around berries to share.  If the Sweat Lodge is convenient to someone's home, we gather there for a meal.

Sweating is a good for the soul.  (and the skin!)