“I wonder what it feels like to fly so high
riding the thermals in the sky?”
It’s easy to experience a sense of wonder when we are in nature. I am awestruck in the early evenings whenever I witness the ease and flow of 35 white Ibis as they glide in formation across the pale blue sky.
I watched in wonder the other day as an anhinga grasped a fish that looked way too big to slide down its slender neck. But after many attempts at subduing its dinner, it managed to gulp it half way down, looking as though it had swallowed a theater-sized candy bar without chewing.
To be honest, I’m finding more wonder in nature, in the wild creatures great and small, than in watching some of the humans who are causing much pain and suffering to each other and to planet earth. But I’ve learned how to turn off the TV.
Maybe like many others, I’m longing for that experience of innocence and wonder that may now seem hidden behind masks and walls. Could that be the reason I’m noticing lots of puppies everywhere lately, as people welcome the joy and comfort of such pure love?
Recently, I delighted in witnessing my friends’ adorable baby as she attempted her first steps. I wondered, when will she get the courage and confidence to support her body on her own two tiny feet? It made my heart smile.
This past week, in an online workshop by Valarie Kaur, author of “See No Stranger”, she invited us to see “wonder as an act of revolutionary love.” It struck me that if we could open our hearts, to see each person with wonder as she suggests, thinking: “you are a part of me I don’t yet know”, we could cultivate an understanding and appreciation of each other and deepen our connections.
What if we invite others to share with a willingness to hear their story, feel their grief, listen to their fears, concerns or joy? How can we engage openly with each person, starting with our own family, in our neighborhood or community, whether online, by phone or social distancing?
Perhaps we need to take a step towards each other with curiosity and wonder to discover, not only our uniqueness, but our commonality. We might wonder when we engage with someone, “What gives YOU hope or makes you feel grateful?” or “What keeps YOU awake at night?”, or “How are YOU staying centered and connected during Covid?” or “What keeps YOU going when you want to give up?”
How can we celebrate each other’s courage in making it through a tough day, be a support to those who have lost so much, including their sense of self and well-being, and to cheer those who continue to sayYES to LIFE and to LOVE and to trying to create a better, more equitable world? From the quietest, steadfast heroes to those who are front and forward, we may wonder, “How do you keep your faith and commitment?” as we thank them for their dedication, bravery, and inspiration.
Let’s open to each other so that we might discover the wonder of who we are.
Blessings to you and your loved ones,
What gives you a sense of wonder?
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