Friday Speak Out!: Sacred Rituals

by Kim Smyth

I’m writing this little story even though to do so may make y’all think I’m a bit of a freak, yet we all have our sacred rituals to get us going, right?

My writing space is not one most people would choose, it is just the area of the dining table that puts me in front of a plug for my computer, and in front of the dining room window so I can daydream and either watch the autumn leaves fall on the neighbors lawns, or the rain fall from the sky, filling up my empty plant beds. The reason is that my old writing space was a converted bedroom-turned-office with NO space for my writing. I had been using this old piece of furniture we inherited from my husband’s grandmother, yet it was crowded out by his desk and now I have no room. I needed my own space.

Anyway, my morning ritual has always included making my coffee which uses coconut oil and butter (those of you who know what bulletproof coffee is will understand) and rubbing said oil on my dry legs in the process. I also rub it on the surgery scar on my neck and it is hardly visible now after a year. Anyway, I discovered one morning that my little dog Whiskey loves coconut oil when I sat down on the couch and she literally attacked my hands trying to lick it off. So now, every morning it has been sort of a thing for me to sit down at the dining table, get ready to write, while both of my doggies lick the coconut oil off my legs.

You might think this is weird, but dogs benefit from coconut oil as well as humans, if this is a good delivery method, who am I to stop them? Besides, it is oddly soothing to me, even if that sounds a little weird, I don’t mind at all. In fact, I now sort of feel lost if for some reason they don’t come running right away the moment my butt hits the dining room chair, for that action is what now gets me in the mood to write. Me, my coffee, my JUUL, and my dogs, licking my legs while I pound out my next article, essay, blog post or whatever…now how is that for a visual? I can hear you laughing from here! Or are you cringing? Some people are put off by dogs licking their toes, and my Brandy is a toe-licker from way back. This is somehow…different. Like I said, it’s rather soothing and I’m killing two birds with one stone per say.

Never mind that they like the oil just as well on their food, or in the baked treats I sometimes make them, I like them licking it off my legs…there, I said it. It’s part of my ritual now, I don’t think I could get started in the mornings without it.

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Kim Smyth is a freelance writer interested in all forms of writing, articles, essays, poetry, and blogs. She writes on Medium and runs the blogs Keto For Beginners and Words On a Page. She lives in the DFW metroplex with her hubby Dave and two adorable Shorkies, Whiskey and Brandy Recently, Callie the cat joined the family.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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