Prayers to Aphrodite: For the Small Things

O Blessed Aphrodite
Golden-Crowned Goddess
Of Love and Pleasure
I give thanks to you
For the small things

In a challenging time
Full of death and grief
Of riots and rage
Of fear and anxiety
Of separation and isolation
Where each new day
Brings another horrific headline

In this terrible, awful time
Let me not forget the small things

Let me look to the brilliant sunset
Dousing the sky with pink and orange
And know that this, too, shall pass

Let me look to the star-filled night
Where light and dark live in stark contrast
But also dance in beautiful harmony

Let me hear the words of those I love
Whether they be near or far
As a sacred balm for my soul

Let me hear the rain on the roof
Beating out a steady rhythm
Of comfort and protection

Let me smell the delightful aroma
Of home-cooked food simmering on the stovetop
To nourish my body and soul

Let me feel the warmth
Of fuzzy socks and cozy blankets
In the home that is my refuge

Let me taste the salt
In the tears of hope
Streaming down my face

Let me not forget the small things
As difficult as life may be
For one day, I’ll look back
And the small things
Will be what I remember

Blessed be.