A State of Wonder
The focus word for this week is wonderment – a state of awe, joy, and wonder. It is funny in a way that we need to be mindful of wonder. We are traveling on a large rock through infinite space, kept alive by an intricate balance of oxygen, nitrogen, and other chemicals, all made possible by a ball of burning gas 93 million miles away. Why aren’t we in a continuous state of wonder?
It is easy to get lost in day to day responsibilities and the stream of difficult news, but mystics and seers have always tapped into awe and joy even when things around them were dark. Tuning into wonder does not mean we ignore responsibilities or that we don’t take needed action. It does mean that we can cultivate a continuous appreciation of the uniqueness of each moment.
This week’s focus was partially inspired by last week’s practice, contemplating emptiness and spaciousness. That easily tapped into awe and wonder. My other inspiration was baking one of the remaining pumpkins from last summer’s garden. If you are not a gardener, you might not know that pumpkins and other squash can be stored for most of the winter. Having fresh pumpkin to eat in February that blossomed in my garden months ago – that is awe-inspiring. I can vividly picture the wildish pumpkin vines winding their way across the yard, almost growing in front of our eyes, with the help sun, rain, and my energy. My grandchildren call it “pumpkinpalooza” and it is a joy to behold.
Cultivating Wonder
I realize that I almost always have a sense of awe about gardens and green plants. So that is my starting point. I just need to push on that awareness a little so that I find it in every moment, even the difficult ones. Truly, if I’m paying attention I should be wonder-struck.
If you need inspiration to tune into wonder this week, here is a pitch for one of my favorite children’s books, Big Wolf and Little Wolf, The Leaf that Wouldn’t Fall (1) In this lyrical story with delightful illustrations, Little Wolf wishes for a leaf that is high up and out of reach. Big Wolf asks him to be patient because the leaf will eventually fall. The story unfolds through the seasons focused on the unreachable leaf, which refuses to fall. Finally Big Wolf climbs the tree to retrieve the leaf and what happens is unexpected but breath-taking. Even if you don’t need the inspiration, I recommend this book. Head to your library or local book store to read it!
Join me if you’d like with this week’s focus word – wonderment (For more information about my Focus Work Experiment click here. )
Footnotes:
(1) Brun-Cosme, Nadine (author); Tallec, Olivier (illustrator); Bedrick, Claudia (translator)
