Wednesday Wonder

One of my great pleasures in life is curling up with a good book. Now, my definition of ‘good’ and yours may be different, but when I find what I deem a good book, I truly savour the experience. I read in several different genres, often at the same time. There is always a book on the go that is for work related purposes, something for pure pleasure and something along the self-help lines. The self-help genre is a large one. My niche in it is about feelings, emotions, self-awareness, and, of course like so many others, productivity. Always looking for ways to optimize my time. 

In the midst of reading about how to be more productive each day, how to get more out of each hour, each minute, there are sometimes sparks of other things. That is what happened recently when I read, “I Didn’t Do the Thing Today” by Madeleine Dore. The Thing referring to some seemingly important and urgent matter that should be dealt with immediately, but that is often put off because we don’t want to do it, think it will take too long, be too hard. You know the type of Thing. We each have them.

I came across this as I was reading and I immediately starred it and put a big WW next to it. Seems to sum up exactly what I had hoped these weekly writings would be about. Also made me stop and think about what Things I have been letting get in the way.

“We’re so used to the wonder that is a day that we call it ordinary. Perhaps reminding ourselves of what an extraordinary thing it is to have a day – a day where anything can happen – is a better goal than trying to optimize and render it perfect.”

Boy, did I need that reminder! When I started writing these little pieces about finding wonder in our days that is exactly how I was trying to approach my days. And hoped to inspire you to do as well. Somewhere along the line I started to struggle with that purpose. Life seemed to keep getting in the way. I seemed to be focusing on doing, rather than being. Have I mentioned I am not good at waiting? Need to keep busy so I forget how long I am waiting. I am the person who keeps books on her phone so she can get a little extra reading in while she stands in line at the cashier. I’m the person who writes a column for her congregation while waiting for bloodwork results and going in for chemo. I stopped noticing the wonder and started to try to simply outrun my thoughts at times.

I forgot to look at an ordinary day with wonder. And wonder there has been. Wonder at what could be, and was being done to beat back that disease we call cancer. Wonder at spending time with my grandson and all the moments that happen simply because he is growing, learning and discovering his world. Wonder at the change of seasons. Wonder at how quiet the neighbourhood is in the morning, and how long it actually lasts on a Saturday.

I want to remember the sheer wonder at simply being alive. It is a wonder that we wake each morning. It is a wonder that we continue to be. Let’s not take life, or any part of it for granted. We are a wonder.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14a)