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aguywhopatsdogs 's review for:
Going into this book at the beginning of 2021, I didn't realize how much it would affect me. Pessimism and cynicism had crept into my day to day life, and reading this felt like applying a salve. I've always been a person who scoffed at rituals. Motivational speeches, religious rites of passage, I'll see myself out, thanks. Sasha Sagan wrote a book which made me realize that waking up at 5 a.m. every day to take my dogs out is a ritual, and it does a lot to cherish those 3 minutes.
At one point, she discusses (I'm very much paraphrasing) how she, being agnostic, does not believe in reincarnation. At the same time, her daughter has the signature "sigh for attention" of her late grandfather. It's just DNA, passed down for generations, but just because there's a scientific explanation, does that make it any less of a miracle?
In the end, I came away from this feeling like yes, there is a lot to be bummed about in life. But it's also incredible that my great grandparents survived WW1, moved from Hungary and Poland to Michigan where their children met, survived WW2, had my parents, had me, moved to Connecticut, moved to Colorado 24 years later to meet my partner who was born and raised in Iowa. Celebrating rituals, big or small, is something I can do to remember that.
p.s. I'd still love to move the 5 a.m. ritual wake up to maybe like 6.
At one point, she discusses (I'm very much paraphrasing) how she, being agnostic, does not believe in reincarnation. At the same time, her daughter has the signature "sigh for attention" of her late grandfather. It's just DNA, passed down for generations, but just because there's a scientific explanation, does that make it any less of a miracle?
In the end, I came away from this feeling like yes, there is a lot to be bummed about in life. But it's also incredible that my great grandparents survived WW1, moved from Hungary and Poland to Michigan where their children met, survived WW2, had my parents, had me, moved to Connecticut, moved to Colorado 24 years later to meet my partner who was born and raised in Iowa. Celebrating rituals, big or small, is something I can do to remember that.
p.s. I'd still love to move the 5 a.m. ritual wake up to maybe like 6.