Soot isn't just a sock creature - he's a Stupid Sock Creature, a la John Murphy. Soot has been my daughter's constant companion since he was sewn together by her and her buddy two weeks ago.
How is Soot spirituality? How does this odd looking critter count as a spiritual practice?
Soot is a spiritual practice because story is a spiritual practice and Soot is "living" story - in my daughter's mind and heart he is. He has a background and a history; he has likes and dislikes; he "experiences" happiness and suffers from fears.
(I remember doing the same things when I was eight. I had complicated story lines and I learned the ins and outs of interpersonal relationships with my stuffed animals. I think all kids, to one extent or another, figure out the world through their toys.)
Soot is a spiritual practice because he is an external representation of her internal emotional landscape - he feels and expresses emotions she needs to express, or at the very least practice.
Soot is a spiritual practice because he allows her to develop compassion - seeing things through "his" eyes she practices the ability to see things from perspectives other than her own.
Soot is a spiritual practice because he helps her to figure out the world and her place in it, and that's the essence of all spiritual practices, isn't it?
Thinking back over your life, who or what was your Soot?
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