Friday Open Thread (with Rituals)

Dear Friends,

Thanks to WandaVision Stu and I have settled into a weekly ritual that feels drawn from the Beforetimes: on Fridays I finish work a little earlier than the rest of the week, then we go for a long walk together, then we order take-out and settle in with the show. It’s mundane and wonderful and I start looking forward to it again more or less the second the episode ends.

I’m not sure whether we’ll keep up with this after the finale (next week?!), because so much of why it’s working is the constraint of an event to anticipate; even though it’s not airing at a set time (being made available on Disney+ at 12:01 PST isn’t quite the same thing), the once-a-week release coupled with the intense desire not to be spoiled means I spend almost all of Friday blissfully internet-absent, keenly aware of the day it is and the time it is and that something like joy is coming.

I have a lot more to say about WandaVision, which is incredible and which is breaking me, but for now, I just want to ask whether you’ve developed any quiet, small rituals, whether for the marking of time in an inchoate period or the structuring of enjoyment or the comfort of simple pleasure. Please share them if you’re comfortable doing so, or share how things are going? I hope they’re going ok.

Here are some sun-and-shadow cats to ease you into the weekend.

Love,

Amal