What helps us mark an event or transition to a new place? Graduations, wedding ceremonies, and promotions come to mind. But personal rituals such as lighting candles, reciting prayers, spreading ashes out into the ocean, planting a tree -- these can be just as moving.

From elephant blessings to goddess worship.

One of my all time favorite moments of day is sunset. I live in San Francisco's Marina district just a few blocks from the Golden Gate Bridge, and on clear evenings I like to head down to the water to watch the sun set over the bridge.