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that awareness has the potential to hold it all, coming and going
I recently went to Yosemite for the first time, I had never been to a National Park before and there truly is something calming, serene, and inspirational about being surrounded by vasts amounts of nature.
This afternoon on our hike we paid homage to an AWESOME 1200 year old yellow cedar. Deep bows to you O Wise One of the forest.
Wow
Last week when being at a most beautiful place in a valley where nature is still untouched to a large extent, close to a brook where old mills were once active and are used nowadays for seminars or for private housing, a couple of fire salamanders or 2 siblings of this species were playing right in front of me, scuffled and wriggled around each other in the game, not taking notice of my presence at all. it almost took my breath away, just to observe their pure play and their being in the very moment. To have the opportunity to experience being with such meanwhile rare animals playfully interacting in a distance of arm length in the middle of the night (the moon was shining and a lamp outside offered spotlight for some moments when I had noticed these beauties) felt being a huge gift and was a magical moment of awe under the star-blinking firmament of that warm late summer night.
How wonderful, Ose! Thanks for sharing 🙂
When I look closely – at an ant or blade of grass and notice the intricate design and perfection. Then realizing that that same attention and focus has been applied everywhere.
Seeing the autumn leaves yellowing, the horse chestnuts ripening, the ‘intelligence’ of nature as a new season dawns.
Last night I watched a tiny spider drop a web from the lampshade to the table top, not once but twice!
Go, Spider! 🕷🕸 [not quite the right type of web..] Thanks, Melanie
For me autumn is always a season that fills me with awe and wonder. The changing colours of the trees is such a beautiful natural spectacle. Bringing in the bounty of my garden takes place just before winter lays all growth to rest. It speaks of how everything works to provide what is needed at the right time. It gives me a sense of gratitude and safety. It makes me feel like everything is wonderfully organized. How can I not be in awe?
I recently had a total hip replacement. I had to take off 6 weeks from work for recovery. The entire experience was one that was full of awe. The time to slow down and think was needed. This is when i discovered this platform. I have found out so much about me ..Today is my first day back at work part time. I am taking all the good stuff i learned wirh me. I showed up hear this morning and this question was so on point!
That’s amazing to have awe with a hip replacement, Racel – I’ll remember that – it’s not something I want to have done, but who knows? 😐
That chronic pain was unbearable. It is gone. I am grateful for all the things that cane with the procedure from the beginning to know. It felt like forces were conspiring in my favor and i had to walk in faith!
I’m so glad that your ‘silver lining’ of hip replacement was to find us! I wish you a belated welcome to our community, and i am glad you are healing.
I am perhaps a bit phlegmatic because I don’t believe I have experienced awe or wonder in the sense that I understand it—at least, not recently.
I do have a young child, and seeing her learn and grow is its own slow awe. Each day brings a new question or thought that I never could have expected. She is very aware of her surroundings and always trying to understand what is going on. But she is also very imaginative and can make up stories that last for a half hour off the top of her head. She also takes on new challenges like climbing up huge play structures made for much bigger kids.
I also realize how little I know when I am with my child and she asks how certain things work. This morning, we went past a firehouse, and she asked what the firefighters do when they aren’t putting out fires. I honestly don’t know for certain, and thinking about it brought to mind all the complexities of that job that I never have reason to consider. I am incredibly fortunate, however, that people are thinking about it and preparing to keep me and my family safe.
Often, music opens my senses and captures my full attention, and nothing else exists at that very moment. I was carried to a spiritual place of wonder yesterday at Unity North Atlanta church, when two uniquely talented singers blended their rich voices and their spirits. As they sang “The Prayer,” my soul filled with wonder of harmony, wonder of community, wonder of treasure that is mine to embrace. The magic of their singing will carry me forward.
Thank you for sharing your wonder! I too have a church that has amazing music and very talented musicians. What a blessing that they have decided to share their talents with all of us in the congregation. The hymns and instruments always take me to place of magnificent wonder. What a blessing.
I have a chipmunk who meditates on my back porch every morning. He sits on his hind legs and holds his front legs up at his chest. He is perfectly still and sometimes stays that way for 15 or 20 minutes. I watch him from either my patio doors or kitchen window. He’s an inspiration. So calm and with perfect posture!
How wonderful, Carol – we don’t have chipmunks where I live now.
I have a chipmunk, too, Carol! He visits my deck most days, and is now coming around to snack on fallen acorns. He doesn’t always stay still, but it is fun to watch when he does. He is rather protective of his little corner of the world, keeping his eyes out for interlopers.
My beautiful first grandchild. What a blessing it is to have her in our lives. To hold someone so small in my arms and to know that I will be part of her life is the biggest blessings. I am in love. I pray for her and her mamas as they begin the parenting journey with their baby. Pure wonder and awe.
It is always nature for me – the littlest bug, the tallest tree, the highest mountain, the stars at night, the beauty of the sunrise/sunset, flowing clean water, or the size of the universe. This time of year in Michigan, I look at all the green and think it is amazing that in just a few weeks it will change to beautiful colors and then be gone. 🍃🍁🍂 –<
In my meditation I have realized that the pictures of the past are no longer real and that I can let them go along with the pain, anger, fear etc. That the pictures of trauma from my past have an impact on things that have happened, but now I’m learning that when anxiety is attacking that it’s going to pass. I don’t have to die over all the awful things that have happened in the past.
Im in aw that about a year ago I was ready to die. I didn’t want to live anymore.
Now I have hope through letting go. I pray everyday in meditation and I’m in aw of the universe and gratitude fills my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still struggling, but now my prayers are being answered. There are people around me and here who care.
Yes, we do care about you, Antoinette.
You do us a great honor to be willing to share your private struggles with us. It is a very big step for you, too… to speak, to trust, to open I applaude your courage and work at healing.
I hope you find at least some small joy, today! 🦋🌺
Thank you Holly Ohio, I have joy now more than ever. I am letting go of so many of the past hurts and future worries that joy comes naturally . More and more light arrives. Thank you again.
Antoinette, I am in awe of your open heart and open mind. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Carol for listening and being here . 🥰
My awe was seeing about 10 sparrows enjoy a make shift bird bath. They enjoyed drinking and splashing as a few others waited. Brene’ Brown in her book THE ALTAS OF THE HEART talks about theses emotions of awe and wonder. Have a great Monday!
That makes me smile! 😄
I consciously choose to be open to awe. Between my kids, pets, weekly hikes, houseplants, amateur mycology, and amateur nature photography there is always miraculous beauty. I’m anxiously awaiting the unfurling of a heart leaf philodendron leaf. It’s a slow growing one. Everyday I eagerly peek!
I already posted this yesterday in the Gratitude Lounge… “…something magical I saw last night, purely by chance. I could tell the sunset was setting up to be special, but we were in a hurry. Normally on Fridays we have a dinner guest, but we also needed to show up for a neighbor’s birthday celebration, so I took our dinner guest home in our car, but the sun was just very bright and low, but not yet spectacular with color. As our disabled friend got out of the car, I suddenly remembered that I told him I had a bag of homegrown vegetables for him, but we had forgotten it at the house. I told him I would get it, and he decided to wait on the bench outside his building until I returned. I dashed home, grabbed the bag of vegetables, and I was driving west again on the road, the sun, now red, was aligned PERFECTLY with the road, and there was a long, shining, molten, RED streak of light all along down the road for several blocks, and not a car on it. I stopped at a red light. Enjoying those seconds of time. It was like that was there just for me to enjoy. I didn’t have my phone on me, couldn’t take a photo… it was just a special moment in time for something unimaginably beautiful. And then the [traffic] light changed, Lol… and the moment escaped. Such a metaphor for life and being present to the preciousness of every unique moment in our individual experience.”
Lovely Holly,
We had an interesting light experience recently too. In the early evening, we go back to our eating table and do a reading, puzzle, and word game. On this particular night, the light was something different than I had ever seen before. The room was just glowing, maybe light a candle or a porch light in the dark. It had something to do with the way the sun was setting maybe or just something unexplainable. I almost wonder now if your night and our night were the same date.
That sounds wonderful! I can picture the glow. ☺ It was Friday night.
So lovely. Thank you for sharing that ! We have to come back to now and appreciate what we have now.
❤
You described it so beautifully, Holly, it became magical for me too.💛
❤
Having a small family get together. This hasn’t happened in a very long time. Noticing that from the last get together that we now have 3 grandmother’s and 4 great grand children in our pack. It was bittersweet!
The mountains of southwest Virginia, U.S. yesterday. They looked lush and green against a bright blue sky soaked with sun.
The flavors of Iran. I had cooking class again from my friend from Iran. It has really amazed me that there are such wonderful flavors and fragrances that I have never tasted before. So, I’m never too old for new experiences. Today I was able to eat some leftovers. Lucky me😋.
Hi Christine,
You might enjoy this book: Life from Scratch: A memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness by Sasha Martin
Thank you for the suggestion! I just ordered it. I love cookbooks with a human story behind them.
Thank you, Rabbit. That sounds interesting.👩🍳
Oh, wow, Rabbit! I love that book, too! Great recommendation!
Trying to find one you have not read, how about this one?
Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman
Yesterday observing the humming birds particular style of flight. Just now watching as a portion of my coffee re-enters the never ending hydrologic cycle as steam, eventually to return to a usable form as precipitation.
Watching our grandchildren grow…all seven of them! Every day, every week, they change in some noticeable way. And along with that sense of wonder and awe, is a desire to slow it all down, too.
When I leave for work, it’s still dark. Yesterday morning, I walked outside and looked up at the sky. The stars were so bright and beautiful. It made me feel so small yet reminded me that I’m part of something so big. The vastness of the sky always fills me with awe.
I also leave for work and it’s still dark. I did the same thing yesterday! I totally noticed how bright the stars were and looked at the constellations. I try to look up before I get in my car.
I would have to say with the recent passing of the Queen, having a 10 day mourning period, seeing all the people waiting in long lines to view her, all the rules and etiquette – that is a sense of awe.
The Archbishop of Canterbury just used the term Servant Leadership for the Queen (at her funeral). How rare it is, at least from my life perspective, to find that in others. She has been a gift to the nations, the world.
The ability to sit with and companion two economically challenged, wonderful ladies in Southern Belize. While sad, trying, and challenging, they were enveloped in a loving, sacred space and the tragic became mystical beautiful. No racial, religious, gender boundaries in those spaces.
Wow, Dusty Su – you have traveled far! I remember you had plans, and it sounds like they’re happening 💓
Yes, Australia to Thailand, to USA, to Belize, to USA, then back to Australia because my mom’s in end of life with cancer.