Wintering Rituals // The Blood Orange ⋆⁺₊❅.

The rythmic rituals of Winter are built into nature all around us. GOD has crafted each season so perfectly, that each one has it's own unique beauties and pleasures, which are to be found in no other season.

These small gifts given to me, teach me how to slow down and savor each season for it's own special blessings. 

The Blood Orange ⋆⁺₊❅.  

Citrus are one of the many foods in season for Winter. I was struck the other day when I was tempted to cut a blood orange into wedges to enjoy it's wonderful taste. When something stopped me and urged me to peel it instead. It's as if GOD through His creation urged me to enjoy this beautiful fruit a different, more savoring way. In this modern day, we have plenty of ways to quickly and easily dig into an orange to enjoy it as quickly as possible, with no time wasted. 

But what if the slow method is not wasted time, but blessed time? 

I sat there, gently peeling the pith of the orange, delicately and slowly coaxing the natural wedges apart. 

And as I pulled apart the wedges, that created a flap that made the pith even easier (and more satisfying) to peel off, revealing the juicy pulp underneath.

I realized as I worked, that this was not something to be rushed. If you rush, you'll burst the little pulpy juice vesicles, and your wedge will not be a complete unit anymore, but rather a torn apart, dripping mess (though still delicious). 

No - This is a sacred practice in gentle methodicalness. See how when pulling apart the wedges, it almost looks like a butterfly! 

My husband called this blood orange butterfly a "blood-orange-erfly"

In a world with a conveniently placed McDonald's and a Starbucks on every street corner (at least in America, where food is poison), a phone in every pocket at the ready for unlimited amounts of information, and a car in almost every driveway, the human race has become conditioned to expect things quickly. I'm terribly guilty of this myself. 

So many times have I habitually pulled out my phone when going to the bathroom, hanging out in bed, passing slow times at work. I cringe when I remember how many times I've turned to my phone for a quick dopamine hit when in the thick of a fight with my husband. 

While my phone habits are far from the healthy patterns I am striving for, I've noticed my relationship with myself (my self reflection and self awareness, especially understanding my role in a problem), and my relationship with my husband have drastically improved when I have allowed those "in-between" moments to just exist. To just be. Without me trying to change anything or add anything to them to help pass the time, or to help make it easier to digest. Our "fights" have improved! Not only by making the arguments we do have more respectful and more productive for both parties, but by reducing the amount of fights we need to have in the first place. 

To summarize these reflections, I'm realizing more and more that I need to be bored. I need to be slow. I need methodical rhythms that slow I down enough to appreciate the beauty around me. In such small ways as the blood orange, GOD has curated each season with built-in ways to slow down. This is His design! It's his blessing on me. I want to relish it.

This is something I'm still learning, but want to continue to prioritize this thinking in the new year (it's almost 2025!) 

Speaking of, I am thinking of making a "2024 Recap" post, but need to hash out my thoughts on it a little more. In short, I'm very proud of myself and the headway I've made this year in improving myself as a person, healing, and growing in love. Very importantly, I'm proud of how much my self-reflection and self-awareness has improved, along with looking at a situation objectively. These are things I've had to teach myself, (and am still teaching myself) because they are not concepts I grew up with.

Until next time...   ‧₊˚🍊༉‧₊˚.    

-Amaris ☆ //